Cheesy Beer Dip with Pretzel Rolls

Cheesy Beer Dip with Pretzel Rolls is a quick and easy game night people pleaser.  I’ve used refrigerated dough to make the pretzel rolls super fast…while they bake you can whisk together the cheese dip and have this hot on the coffee table in no time.  Then it’s every man, or woman, for themselves.

I’m not a sports fan by any stretch, but I do know my way around a great hot dip.  And I’m sorry if you got a case of whiplash from my last post all about the health benefits of Miso.  But nobody can eat 100% healthy all the time.  And anyway, I couldn’t make it through an entire game, no matter what the sport,  without some kind of distraction like this comfy cozy cheesy dip.

I got the idea from my friend Jennifer, she specializes in this kind of bread and dip in a skillet thing.  She does the rolls from scratch, too, so check out her recipe.  I was a little more impatient and gave refrigerator dough the classic pretzel treatment by dipping it in a bath of baking soda and water, and then hitting it with some coarse salt.  Not as good as from-scratch pretzel rolls, I’m sure, but good enough.  There are sometimes when I prioritize speed in a recipe, and this is one of those times.  A hot cheesy beer dip cannot get into my mouth fast enough on a cold night.

For another simple cheese sauce recipe, try this Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce.

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3 from 7 votes

Cheesy Beer Dip with Pretzel Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 tube of refrigerated French Bread dough
• 2 cups warm water
• 8 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg white whisked
• coarse sea salt
• 1-2 Tbsp melted butter for brushing

Dip

• 12 ounces beer
• 1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp Wondra flour as needed

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 350F
• Lightly spray a 10" cast iron skillet with cooking spray.
• Open the refrigerated dough and slice into 10 equal pieces.
• Stir the baking soda into the warm water, along with the egg white, and give it a good stir. Dip each slice or ball of dough into the water, and then set around the perimeter of the pan. You can leave a little space between each one to allow for expansion while it bakes. Sprinkle with the sea salt.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Brush with a little melted butter and hit the rolls with a little more salt. Set aside.
• Meanwhile put the beer into a saucepan and heat to boiling. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the beer a bit.
• Take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk or stir in the cheese. When the cheese has melted, use a food processor or immersion blender to process briefly until smooth.
• Reheat the cheese gently, and, if necessary, add a little Wondra flour to thicken the dip. Whisk constantly, and when it looks smooth and slightly thickened, it's ready to pour into the center of the baked rolls.
• Serve immediately with plenty of beer and plenty of napkins.

notes:

• I used Pillsbury 13″ Crusty French Bread Loaf refrigerated dough.
• The beer and cheese need a little help coming together into a creamy dip.  Blending it helps, and so does the addition of a little flour.  I keep a container of Wondra next to the stove because it’s so handy to sprinkle right into anything that needs a bit of thickening.  Wondra is specially treated so it doesn’t clump, you can whisk it right in.
• The dip is reminiscent of a fondue, with beer standing in for the wine.  If you want a creamier dip you can melt in one 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese.
• This is not a dish to linger over.  Get it right to the table and dig in, you want the bread to be crisp and the dip to be hot.

more cheesy dips…

Cheesy Meatballs with Garlic Toast

Smokey Onion Dip

Sweet Vidalia Onion Dip