Soft Pretzel Stuffing
Author: Nicole
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 pounds soft pretzels (~ 6 large or ~ 10 cups) (see Notes)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more to butter baking dish
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
  • 2 cups shredded white medium cheddar
  • ½ cup beer (lager or IPA)
  • 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup chicken stock (you may need a bit more)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Scrape most of the salt off of the pretzels (if you don’t it will be too salty). Cut the pretzels into bite-sized cubes. Spread out the pretzel cubes on a large baking sheet and bake, flipping cubes halfway through, until the bread dries out, about 1 hour. Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can cut the cubes the day prior and leave to dry out at room temperature overnight.
  2. Adjust the oven to 350°F. Butter a 8-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 2-1/2-inch (or similarly sized such as a 9 x 13-inch) baking dish.
  3. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat.
  4. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season lightly with Kosher salt and pepper.
  5. Add garlic, rosemary, sage and thyme and cook stirring frequently, about 1 to 2 minutes. (Onion mixture can be made a day in advance. Cool and refrigerate.)
  6. In a large bowl, mix pretzel cubes, onion mixture and cheddar cheese.
  7. Whisk beer, mustard, honey, eggs and 1 cup chicken stock in a small bowl.
  8. Using a rubber spatula, stir beer mixture into pretzel cube mixture.
  9. Season lightly with Kosher salt and pepper.
  10. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake immediately or refrigerate for up to a day. (Remove from the refrigerator an hour before baking.)
  11. Bake for 30 minutes, covered. Remove aluminum foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes until pretzels are crusty and the stuffing is set. Serve immediately.
Notes
* This recipe uses large soft pretzels – not pretzel rolls (like what you’d use for sandwiches). If you can, please procure your pretzels from Wawa or Philly Pretzel Factory.
* Be sure to scrape off most of the salt on the pretzels as it will be too salty otherwise. You will still want to add a bit of Kosher salt during the cooking process.
* If the stuffing looks dry while cooking, add ½ cup chicken stock at a time to moisten.
* I prepared the stuffing a day in advance and baked it an hour prior to serving. It was just the right consistency – pretzels were crusty and the remainder of the stuffing was moist. It wasn’t mushy at all.
Recipe by Riegl Palate at https://www.rieglpalate.com/soft-pretzel-stuffing/