TGI Friday’s Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Dip

TGI Friday’s Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip is a recipe that has been requested by so many people just like yourself. These soft pretzels served with creamy beer cheese sauce are simply irresistible.

platter of soft pretzel sticks and beer cheese dip


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Making TGI Friday’s Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Dip

TGI Fridays is a casual restaurant I love. They have a wonderful bar and a menu that is constantly changing all of the time.

TGI Friday’s has wonderful pretzel sticks and beer cheese dip and you can make this tasty appetizer at home. Believe it or not, homemade pretzels sticks aren’t difficult to make. You will amaze your family and friends by being so talented!

The beer cheese dip is simple to put together. You just need some American cheese and your favorite beer.

The History of Pretzels

One common origin story about pretzels is that they date back to the year 610 when they were created by an Italian monk. Before baking them, this monk folded pieces of dough so that each one looked like a child crossing its arms in prayer.

He called them pretiolas which means “little rewards” in Italian. He would give out pretiolas to children who had memorized their prayers.

Recorded Evidence – While there is no way to prove the monk story, what is certain is that pretzels were featured on the crests of German bakers’ guilds in the year 1111.

Dating from 1440 is a portrait of St. Bartholomew surrounded by some pretzels in a prayer book belonging to Catherine of Cleves.

The Meaning of Pretzels

Pretzels came to represent spiritual wholeness and good luck. The three holes in the typical shape of a pretzel possibly represented the Holy Trinity.

The pretzel as good luck appeared on New Year’s Day when German children hung pretzels around their necks. In Austria in the 16th Century, pretzels were ornaments on Christmas trees.

And Swiss parents hid little pretzels on Easter for children to find – an early version of an Easter egg hunt.

Also in Switzerland, the pretzel shape represented a marriage knot – the bride and groom would each pull on one side of a pretzel. The person with the larger half brought prosperity to the marriage – kind of like a doughy wishbone tradition.

homemade soft pretzel sticks with beer cheese dip

Pretzels in Pennsylvania

In the 1700s, pretzels voyaged across the Atlantic with German immigrants (later called the Pennsylvania Dutch). Today, around 80% of American pretzels come from Pennsylvania.

While it’s estimated that the average American eats two pounds of pretzels in one year, pretzel consumption in Philadelphia shoots up to around twelve pounds of pretzels per Philadelphian per year.

Soft and Hard Pretzels

Early pretzels were soft. There’s a popular legend that hard pretzels came about in 1600 when a baker fell asleep while tending his fire and burned his pretzels to a crisp.

While this is a good story, we do know that in 1861, Julius Sturgis established the first commercial pretzel bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania where he developed the hard crunchy salty snacks that we enjoy today.

Beer and Cheese – It’s Better Than Wine and Cheese

Read this interesting article that explains why combining beer with cheese is better than pairing cheese up with wine. My recipe uses American cheese, but you can try other cheeses if you wish.

Homemade Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Sauce

Many of you requested this recipe, and I was happy to develop a new recipe for you. Here we are combining homemade pretzel sticks and an easy to make beer cheese dip.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Instant Yeast
  • Sugar
  • Water
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Vegetable oil for oiling a bowl
  • Baking soda
  • Egg white
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • American cheese
  • Beer

What Beer to Use in Beer Cheese Sauce

I am using Molson for my beer cheese dip, but you can use any brand of beer that you like. I personally like a hearty beer so this was my choice for this recipe.

I have done a similar beer cheese dip with Coors Light, Spaten Oktoberfest, and a couple of others, all with good results.

If you don’t drink beer, replace the beer with milk and you will have a tasty cheese sauce.

How to Make Pretzel Sticks

  1. Proof yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Pour the proofed yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  2. Add flour and salt. Mix while slowly streaming warm water into the flour until a ball of dough forms then another minute to knead the dough.
  3. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled.
  4. Punch down and knead the dough on a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll them into small logs. Cut 2 or 3 slits in each.
  5. Cover the dough logs with a towel and let them rise for another 25 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough is on the second rise.
  7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add baking soda and sugar.
  8. Drop a few pretzel sticks at a time into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute, turning over halfway through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sticks to a baking sheet.
  9. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse kosher salt.
  10. Bake at 375 degrees until brown, about 25 minutes.
  11. Transfer the pretzel sticks to a wire rack and let them cool for 10 minutes.
  12. Serve warm or at room temperature with beer cheese dipping sauce.

How to Make Beer Cheese Sauce

  1. Chop the cheese into cubes and place them in a small saucepan with ½ cup of beer.
  2. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the cheese has melted.

Love TGI Fridays? Try these copycat recipes!

Favorite Appetizer Recipes

Check out more of my easy bread recipes and the best appetizer recipes here on CopyKat!

platter of soft pretzel sticks and beer cheese dip

TGI Friday’s Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Dip

You can make TGI Friday's Pretzel Sticks and beer cheese dip with this copycat recipe.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Beer cheese, Preztel Sticks, TGI Friday’s Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Dip
Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 394kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/8 teaspoon yeast 1 package instant yeast
  • 1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons warm water (125 to 130 degrees)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • vegetable oil for the bowl
  • 8 cups water
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1 egg white lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for glaze
  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt for sprinkling

Beer Cheese Sauce

  • 8 ounces American cheese
  • 4 ounces beer

Instructions

Pretzel Sticks

  • Proof the yeast by combining it with 2 tablespoons warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Once the yeast begins to foam and bubble, it is ready to use.
  • Transfer the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  • Add flour and salt. Begin to mix on low and slowly stream 1 cup of warm water into the flour until a ball of dough forms. Continue to mix for another minute to knead the dough.
  • Grease a bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough ball in the oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, approximately 35 minutes.
  • Dust a cutting board with flour and place the dough on the board.
  • Knead and then divide the dough into 16 portions.
  • Roll each portion into a cigar shape and use a sharp knife to cut 2 or 3 slits into the top.
  • Cover the rolled dough pieces with a towel and let rise for another 25 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough in on the second rise.
  • Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add the baking soda and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar (the water will foam for a moment).
  • Drop 4 pretzel sticks at a time into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds per side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sticks and place them on a baking sheet.
  • Whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.
  • Brush the pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse kosher salt.
  • Bake at 375 degrees until brown, about 25 minutes.
  • Transfer the pretzel sticks to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.

Beer Cheese Sauce

  • Chop American cheese into 1-inch cubes and place them in a small saucepan with 4 ounces of beer.
  • Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese has melted.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 2674mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 3.6mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lyn

    It didn’t seem to be enough water. My dough was crumbly so I added a few more tablespoons. Did anyone else have that problem?

    • Bryan Williams

      Hi Lyn: I live in the Denver CO area and I’ve found that most recipes for sea level or higher humidity areas will require noticeably more moisture than called for (perhaps the flour dries out too much). I add enough liquid to make a very slightly tacky dough, and knead a little longer to properly hydrate the dough. Hope this helps…

  2. Katie

    For the American Cheese, is it the Velveta brick? Or is a chunk of American Cheese cut from the deli? White or Yellow if it is deli American you are recommending? Thanks!

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