Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites
Filled with 2 types of Cabot cheese, these Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites are the perfect way to celebrate Oktoberfest and gamedays in the Fall!
This Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
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3 years ago, I had the chance to visit Dellavale Farms in Pattersonville, NY as part of Cabot’s Open Farm Sunday. When I arrived at the farm, I strapped my camera over my back, and headed out to explore this dairy farm. That was in 2016. Fast forward to 2019. A couple of weeks ago, I pulled up outside the main barn at Dellavale Farms again. Once again, I strapped my camera over my back and headed out to visit my cow friends. However, this time was different. One hand was holding a camera, and the other was holding Robbie’s hand.
I wasn’t sure if taking Robbie to the farm was an amazing idea or downright insane. I decided to roll with it, though. (I confirmed with Farmer Terri that Robbie could join me, and she was super welcoming!) I checked Robbie out of preschool around 10am, and we headed off to have a Robbie-Daddy day at the farm. Dellavale Farm is only about 30 minutes away from my house, and I was driving over, I kept thinking, “This is either going to be amazing or terrible. No in-between here.” Fortunately it turned out to be amazing!
I’m a city boy. I was born in Dallas, TX, and I grew up in the historic district of Charleston, SC. I spent high school and college in the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina. Over the past handful of years, I’ve had the chance to visit a number of farms and ranches. Deep down, I think I was meant to be a country boy. I love getting out and learning about where our food comes from. I find it awe-inspiring how hard farmers work. I love spending time outdoors with the cows. And now Robbie does, too!
Since I didn’t have the chance to visit farms and ranches when I was a kid, I’m determined to provide that opportunity to Robbie. I want him to understand where his food comes from. That was the motivation behind me checking Robbie out of preschool early. As I suspected, he loved exploring Dellavale Farm with me! Robbie drinks a cup of milk every morning before preschool, and I showed him where that milk comes from. We brought some ears of corn with us, and we had the chance to feed Renee (one of Terri’s cows) 3 ears of corn. Robbie was amazed that Renee ate the entire ear of corn – cob and all. (Renee was quite happy with the corn treat, too!)
After we spent some time in the barn, Robbie and I sat in the back of my car having a picnic lunch. He told me all about what he had seen…including the huge tires on the tractor! As we were getting ready to head out, Terri sent us on our way with several packs of Cabot cheese. We had a package of Colby Jack for Robbie and a sharp cheddar for me. Yum! (I made sure to leave that cheese in the back as it probably wouldn’t have made it home if it was on the seat next to me.) On a side note, the trip to the farm wiped Robbie out!
Dellavale Farm is one of several hundred Cabot farms located in Vermont and New York. As I mentioned above, the farm is only 30 minutes from my house. That’s one of the coolest things about the Cabot Cheese Co-op. Cabot’s farmers truly are neighbors. I consider Terri a friend now, and she told me to stop back with Robbie whenever we wanted to. (She even invited Robbie’s entire preschool class to come over sometime!) We certainly plan to take her up on that offer! In fact, Cabot is hosting another Open Farm Sunday on October 6 this year. If you live in the northeast, then visit Cabot’s website to find a farm near you. Stop by a farm with the family and learn more about where your food comes from!
Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites
Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel BitesSwitching gears over to the recipe, I used two different types of Cabot cheese to make these Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites. I love making homemade pretzels. The buttery, salty tops combined with the chewy texture is nothing short of delicious. If you’ve never made homemade pretzels, then promise me you’ll make this recipe! Making pretzels at home might sound daunting, but they’re surprisingly easy. And I bet you’ll be quite impressed with yourself when that batch of pretzels comes out of the oven!
For these Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites, I wanted to start with a good melty cheese. Cabot’s Muenster was the answer. Muenster is a buttery, creamy cheese that melts very easily. It’s perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos and stuffed pretzel bites! (Cabot’s Muenster and Monterey Jack are both naturally lactose-free.) I also used Cabot’s Monterey Jack cheese inside of these pretzels. Monterey Jack is another cheese that melts well, and it’s mild flavor makes Monterey Jack a good choice for all sorts of recipes. The combination of Muenster and Monterey Jack together? Insane! Look at all of that melty cheese oozing out of the pretzel bites!
If you’re looking for a tasty snack to nibble one while watching football this Fall, then I highly recommend these Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites. These bites didn’t last long in our house at all. In fact, the hardest part was waiting on them to cool off so we could dig in. I hope you enjoy these pretzel bites as much as we did! Cheers, friends!
For more delicious recipes, check out the Cabot Creamery website!
Did you make these Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Cheesy Stuffed Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ Tbsp brown sugar
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp warm water
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
- 8 oz. Cabot Muenster cheese shredded
- 8 oz. Cabot Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- coarse salt
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Using a countertop mixer, add the flour, salt, brown sugar, yeast, and warm water; stir until well combined. Increase speed to medium and mix for 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm (85°F) location for 30 minutes. (Note: I typically put the bowl in the oven. I turn the oven light on, but do not turn actual oven on.)
- Meanwhile, combine the boiling water with the baking soda; mix until well combined. Set aside to cool.
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add both cheeses; stir until well combined.
- Spray an 11” or 12” cast iron skillet with nonstick baking spray.
- Once dough has risen, divide into 16 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a 3” square. Divide cheese mixture evenly into center of each square of dough. Carefully fold edges of the dough together and pinch to seal. (Note: Make sure seams are sealed or the cheese will melt out while baking.)
- Using a circular motion, roll each piece of dough between countertop and palm of your hand until dough ball becomes tight.
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
- Place pretzel bites into baking soda/water mixture for 2 minutes (spoon water over the top of the pretzel if it is not fully covered by the water). Transfer pretzel bites into greased cast iron skillet. Sprinkle bites with coarse salt, and allow the pretzels to rest for 10 minutes uncovered.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a small “x” into the top of each pretzel ball.
- Bake at 475°F for 9-11 minutes, or until pretzels are golden brown in color. Remove pretzels from oven and brush with melted butter.
Looking for more tasty cheesy recipes? Check out some of these other favorites, too:
Bacon-Wrapped Breadsticks with Queso
That sounds like such a fun day! Cows, kids, and cheese–pretty hard to beat :). And these pretzel bites sound amazing! Cheese carbs are always a good idea. Have a great weekend!
Oh man, it was such an awesome day, Kelsie! I seriously questioned my sanity when I decided to bring a toddler with me to a farm…but it worked out SO well! In fact, Robbie can’t stop talking about Renee the cow and going back to visit her again. 🙂 Also, I agree with you about cheesy carbs. They are the best kind! Well, that and dessert carbs, too. Haha!
Cheesy bread? Ah, yes please! Delicious 🙂 I would love to tuck into that plate right now!
Loving those photos too!! What a great day!
You can’t beat a good cheesy bread! And we really did have a wonderful day on the farm, Alexandra! 🙂
Hi David! What’s not to love about cheese and pretzels!! I never tire of watching my cow neighbors. Because of the warm climate the cows are bred all year around so it’s not unusual to watch them giving birth, there is nothing cuter than a newborn!
Have a great weekend and thanks so much for your kind thoughts.
I saw a cow being born the other day, Dorothy! What a cool experience. A bit, uh, messy…but so awesome at the same time. 🙂 And I totally agree with you about cheese + pretzels. It’s hard to beat warm, cheesy pretzels! Hope you guys had a wonderful weekend down there, my friend!
It’s cool to visit the places you’ve already been. This year I started to recreate photoes taken a few years ago from the same spots; so I’m glad Robbie and you had a lot of fun visiting the farm.
And these cheese stuffed pretzels bites? Wonderful! I love that you sprinkled them with the coarse salt. I also think you can sprinkle the top with cheddar, parmesan, or other kind of cheese which doesn’t melt a lot but create a crispy golden crust (“crumbs”). You should try my idea, and send me a batch (If it’s a success) 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Robbie and I had a blast at the farm, Ben! He was initially a little scared, but he quickly warmed up and now he can’t stop talking about it. We’re totally going back for Open Farm Sunday in a few weeks. 🙂 Also, cheesy pretzel bites are insanely delicious! I’m thinking you’re onto something with the cheese on top here, too. Next batch. Next batch.
What an adventure! Robbie has grown so much, David. How fun to see everything through his eyes…
Now about these cheesy stuffed pretzel bites, just wow!! I’m imagining them as game day fare and next to a steaming bowl of tomato soup for a fabulous lunch. They look SO good!
Oh man, you’re telling me about Robbie growing up, Marissa. I like to include stories here on the blog about Robbie, and I had a fun time reading back through some old posts the other day. It’s insane how much he’s grown!
Anyways, cheesy stuffed pretzel bites are where it’s at! They’re amazing…and I agree with you about serving these next to a bowl of tomato soup. Mmmm!
I loved taking my boys to a farm, I’m pretty sure my youngest wanted to bring some animals back with us. How nice that you have a farm like that so close! Also, cheesy stuffed pretzel bites, are you serious! Two awesome things in one!
Hah! I’m surprised Robbie didn’t ask to bring Renee the Cow back home with us. 🙂 We are fortunate to have farms so close by, and we’re super fortunate that Terri is awesome and let’s us visit! Thanks so much, my friend!
I loved hearing all about Robbie’s day at the farm and seeing the pictures of him having fun. And then falling asleep exhausted at the end! Ha ha! These pretzel bites look absolutely delicious David. Lots of lovely cheese. Yum!
Oh, the sleeping picture really was the icing on the cake! It’s only a 30 minute drive back home, but he lasted all of 10 minutes before he passed out. 🙂 Also, it’s hard to beat cheesy pretzels! They’re a great game day snack for sure. Thanks, Neil!
What a fun trip and so neat that you were able to take Robbie with you! Nothing better than visiting a farm, especially if you leave with cheese! These pretzel bites look amazing…all that yummy cheese!
We had an absolute blast at the farm, Kathy! Robbie loved seeing where his milk comes from, and I loved watching the wheels in his head turn. 🙂 And these cheesy pretzel bites? SO good!
Love that you took Robbie, David! What an awesome experience! (And he is adorable- great pics!) It’s true, most people don’t realize how hard Farmers work! I grew up visiting my Uncle’s dairy farm in Kansas, where he also had many acres of crops! The work never ends and there are no days off! They are so dedicated! Great recipe, definitely going to try it!
Thank you so much, Laura! I had so much fun taking Robbie to the farm. I wasn’t sure how it would go, but it turned out great! And I totally second everything you said about farmers. They are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, and I respect them and thank them so much for that! After all, they help produce cheese…and cheese is delicious! 🙂
Looks like you and Robbie had a great day on the farm. Robbie looks like he is getting so big! Love these cheesy stuffed pretzel bites, they look amazing!
Oh, we had a wonderful day on the farm, Dawn! And, yes, Robbie is growing like a weed. 🙂 Thanks so much, my friend!
Such a cute post David! Good you took Robbie, looks like he had fun. Our kid if 5 so we can relate to your situation here 🙂 That cheesy stuffed pretzel bites is in my list now. Got to try it out.
Thank you so much, Kankana! So you totally know the challenges (and joys) that come with entertaining kids. I had such a good day with him at the farm! 🙂 And these cheesy stuffed pretzel bites are amazing!
So awesome you could bring Robbie on this farm adventure! My boys would have loved it when they were his age. So cool! Don’t think I can wait for October Fest to try this deliciousness! Seriously, I want to dive right in, David.
Yes! I agree…I wasn’t sure how the day at the farm with Robbie would go, but it turned out to be awesome! Farmer Terri was amazing, and Robbie keeps asking when we can go back again. 🙂 Thanks, Valentina!
this dish is making me drool david. looks so very yummo. and it looks like robbie was completely done in by the farm visit. how wonderful to take him with you, and show him where food is from. and i’m in love with those pretty cows – such lovely eyes. cheers sherry
Thanks so much, Sherry! It’s hard to go wrong with cheesy carbs, right? 🙂 And, yes, Robbie was super wiped out by his day at the farm. He loved it!! I’m with ya on the cows, too. They’re just so photogenic when they see a camera come out!
I’m such a sucker for soft, warm pretzels! These look like the perfect football season appetizer now that the season is starting up.
Me, too, Nicole! These stuffed pretzels really are the perfect football appetizer! 🙂