Game day just got even more awesome with these easy Pretzel Dogs! Stuffed with cheesy Pace® Picante Sauce, these dogs are a cinch to prepare and will satisfy the hungriest football fan!
My love for soft pretzels is deep and abiding so when Warren started putting together his usual chicken wings game day feast, I elbowed my way in and whipped up a batch of these glorious, glorious Pretzel Dogs.
And since I can never leave well enough alone, I had to stuff the pretzels with the cheesiest, gooiest filling.
And since I really can’t leave well enough alone, I hit that cheesy filling up with Pace® Medium Picante Sauce (I nabbed the 24 oz. size at Walmart because we love putting it on everything in our lives).
I love the kick of southwest flavor it gives the filling (bonus: I dipped the dog in the leftover cheesy salsa–total win)!
Obviously, I am a firm believer that salsa makes everything better.
‘Specially soft pretzels.
And okay, fine, I have been known to go all out when it comes to making my own breads (I’m looking at you, Beet Challah), but when hungry football fans need food, they need it quick so I used refrigerated French bread dough as a shortcut. (Though obviously substitute your favorite homemade soft pretzel dough if the feeling strikes you!)
I chopped the dough into four equal pieces (and used two cans to get 8 pretzel dogs), rolled each section into a long rectangle, swiped a few tablespoons of that cheesy Pace® Picante filling down the middle, and rolled it into a log.
To make the pretzel dogs, just wrap that log of stuffed dough around a hot dog and pinch the ends of the dough firmly so it doesn’t unravel when cooking.
The premade dough shortcut makes these pretzel dogs dangerously easy to prepare, which means I kind of want to make them for every party this winter, football-related or not.
Plus, I keep thinking of other ways to make them–like mixing cooked chorizo with another kick of Pace® Picante and cotija cheese, wrapping that up in some dough and pretzel-fying that bread bomb of awesome.
Because pretzel-fying is totally a thing!
And it’s as easy as boiling any bread dough with some baking soda. Yes. That is all it is! Water and baking soda. Who would have known?
To get the dogs that perfect golden pretzel crust, swipe egg wash over the boiled dogs and sprinkle with kosher salt and sesame seeds before popping them into the oven.
No need to be shy with either of those because they really will make all your pretzel dog dreams come true.
People, this is what my food dreams are made of: wings, pretzel dogs, a vat of chili con carne, and a giant peanut butter pie–who’s coming over to our house for game day!?
Pretzel Dogs Stuffed With Cheesy Pace® Picante Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 cups boiling water + ⅓ cup baking soda
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup Medium Pace® Picante Sauce
- ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 cans refrigerated French bread dough (13" each)
- 8 beef hot dogs (or bratwurst)
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
- kosher salt and sesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Put water in large pot and bring to a boil (I like to do this while I am making the dogs to save time). You will add baking soda to the boiling water right before you are ready to cook the assembled dogs.
- Make the cheesy salsa stuffing by putting the cream cheese, Pace® Picante, and pepper jack cheese in a small bowl and mixing until well combined. Set aside.
- Pop French bread dough cans open and divide each loaf into four pieces (for a total of 8 pieces). Working one by one, roll each piece into a long 12x4" rectangle. Smooth 2 tablespoons of the cheesy salsa down the middle of the dough. Roll dough lengthwise to form a long tube. Pinch all seams tightly so the filling doesn't escape while cooking.
- Wrap the dough tube around a hot dog in a spiral formation. Make sure to pinch both ends of the tube to make sure it doesn't come unwrapped while cooking. Put on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and dogs.
- You are now ready to pretzel-fy your dogs! Add baking soda to the pot of boiling water. Boil each dog for 30 seconds (they will puff up a little bit and possibly come unwrapped. Just tuck the unwrapped ends back in as best you can--warning, dough will be piping hot).
- Put boiled dogs back onto the baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with kosher salt and sesame seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and dough is cooked through.
- Devour with remaining cheesy salsa!
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