Sausage Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce

Name: Sausage Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce
Prep time: 10
Cook time: 15
Total time: 25
Yield: 1
Ingredients: PRETZEL BITES; package Melty Cheddar Chicken Sausage; can (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza dough; baking soda; dark brown sugar; Pretzel salt, coarse sea salt, or everything seasoning, for topping; BEER CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE; unsalted butter; all-purpose flour; kosher salt; garlic powder; smoked paprika (optional); beer (winter lager, ale, or non-alcoholic); whole milk; sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (2 cups)

Oktoberfest in every snackable bite.

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Sausage Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Servings: 1

Appetizers and Snacks

Game-Day

Kid-Friendly

Melty Cheddar

A long time ago, a legendary quartet came together in a German beer hall and reimagined the world around them. Bold, versatile, playful, and a little cheesy, this fab four endures today thanks to their universal appeal.

We’re talking, of course, about the unbeatable combo of sausage, pretzels, cheese, and beer.

This delightfully simple recipe plays all the hits—uniting those four flavors into one craveable bite. Taking a cue from our Chicks in a Quilt, Melty Cheddar Chicken Sausage gets wrapped in pre-made dough, dipped briefly in boiling water, and baked into poppable pretzel bites. The rich beer cheese sauce brings the Oktoberfest energy full circle, making this recipe as perfect for a midnight snack as it is for a game-night centerpiece.

See Recipe

SERVING MULTIPLIER:

PRETZEL BITES

1 package Melty Cheddar Chicken Sausage

1 can (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza dough

0.33 cup baking soda

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Pretzel salt, coarse sea salt, or everything seasoning, for topping

BEER CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

0.5 teaspoon kosher salt

0.5 teaspoon garlic powder

0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

1 cup beer (winter lager, ale, or non-alcoholic)

1 cup whole milk

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (2 cups)

Instructions

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Servings: 1

Wrap the sausages: Preheat the oven to 450°F and position a rack in the middle-lower section.

While the oven heats, cut each sausage crosswise into 1½” pieces. Roll out the pizza dough into an 8 x 14-inch rectangle, then slice it into strips about 1 x 3½” each. Wrap each sausage piece in a strip of dough, leaving the ends of the sausage exposed.

Chef’s tip: For smaller, more snackable bites, slice each quartered sausage piece in half lengthwise before wrapping. This helps the sausage stay snug inside the dough once baked.

Boil to “pretzelify”: In a medium pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the baking soda and dark brown sugar, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer.

Working in batches to avoid crowding, lower the wrapped sausages into the simmering water. Cook for 30 seconds, until the dough looks slightly puffy and dimpled. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down.

Bake your bites: Brush each piece with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt or everything seasoning. Bake until deep brown and glossy, about 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Start your beer cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika (if using) until the mixture is foamy and no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.

Get whisking: While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the beer and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.

Finish the sauce: Reduce the heat to low. Add the grated cheese a handful at a time, whisking between additions until each batch melts before adding the next. Serve immediately with your warm pretzel bites.

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Sausage Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce