These party snacks from our friends at Tasty are easy to make but not as easy as saving money with GEICO.
Pretzel Bites
Cheese-Stuffed Pretzel Bites
Servings: 2–4
Ingredients
1 pound pizza dough
4 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
3 quarts plus 1 tablespoon water
½ cup baking soda
4 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
Dijon mustard or sauce of choice, for dipping
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Divide the pizza dough into thirds. Roll each portion into a ½-inch-thick rope, then cut into ½-inch pieces. Flatten a piece of dough and add a cube of cheddar cheese to the center. Gather the dough around the cheese and roll to seal completely. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese.
3. Add 3 quarts of water, the baking soda, and salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the dough pieces, 5–6 at a time, and simmer for 20–30 seconds, until the dough is slightly cooked. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
4. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and remaining tablespoon of water. Lightly brush the egg wash over the dough bites.
5. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the bites until golden brown, 18–20 minutes.
6. Add the butter to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium power until melted.
7. Add the pretzel bites to the bowl with the melted butter and toss until well coated, then sprinkle with salt.
8. Serve with Dijon mustard or your favorite sauce for dipping.
Garlic and Herb Pretzel Bites
Servings: 2–4
Ingredients
1 pound pizza dough
3 quarts plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
½ cup baking soda
4 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Lemon aioli or sauce of choice, for dipping
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Divide the pizza dough into thirds. Roll each portion into a ½-inch-thick rope, then cut into ½-inch pieces.
3. Add 3 quarts of water, the baking soda, and salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the dough pieces, 5–6 at a time, and simmer for 20–30 seconds, until the dough is slightly cooked. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
4. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and remaining tablespoon of water. Lightly brush the egg wash over the dough bites.
5. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the bites until golden brown, 18–20 minutes.
6. Add the butter to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium power until melted. Stir in the garlic powder and dried parsley.
7. Add the pretzel bites to the bowl with the garlic butter and toss to coat, then sprinkle with salt.
8. Serve with lemon aioli or your favorite sauce for dipping.
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
Servings: 2–4
Ingredients
1 pound pizza dough
3 quarts plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
½ cup baking soda
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1 large egg
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
Chocolate sauce or sauce of choice, for dipping
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Divide the pizza dough into thirds. Roll each portion into a ½-inch-thick rope, then cut into ½-inch pieces.
3. Add 3 quarts of water, the baking soda, and salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the dough pieces, 5–6 at a time, and simmer for 20–30 seconds, until the dough is slightly cooked. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
4. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush the egg wash over the dough bites.
5. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the bites until golden brown, 18–20 minutes.
6. Add the butter to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium power until melted. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
7. Add the pretzel bites to the bowl with the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss until well coated.
8. Serve with chocolate sauce or your favorite sauce for dipping.
Fried Pickles
Servings: 2–4
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup plain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup beer
½ cup buttermilk
40 dill pickle slices, patted dry
Ranch dressing, for serving
Preparation
1. Fill a small pot halfway with vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350°F (180°C).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, bread crumbs, black pepper, paprika, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, baking powder, beer, and buttermilk until smooth.
3. Toss a few of the dill pickle slices at a time in the batter, coating evenly.
4. Working with a few at a time, fry the battered pickle slices in the hot oil, using a small spider strainer or a slotted spoon to move them around so they begin to float and fry evenly, until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and repeat with the remaining pickles.
5. Sprinkle the fried pickles with salt, and serve with ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce.
Spicy Caramel Popcorn
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 4.4-ounce bag of lightly salted popcorn
1 cup chopped pecans
Caramel Sauce
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chipotle powder
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss together the popcorn and chopped pecans together on the prepared baking sheet.
3. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a boil and cook until the temperature reaches 260°F (127°C), about 5 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the baking soda, cinnamon, chipotle powder, cayenne, and salt.
5. Remove the caramel sauce from the heat and immediately whisk in the spice mixture and vanilla.
6. Pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn and pecans, and toss until evenly coated.
7. Bake the popcorn for 8 minutes, until the caramel has hardened. Remove from the oven and let cool until ready to serve.
Green Chile Nachos
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 15-ounce bag of tortilla chips
1½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups salsa verde
1 4-ounce can of diced green chiles
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For Garnish
Sour cream
Diced avocado
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Layer half of the tortilla chips in the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet. Top with ¾ cup chicken, 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, 1 cup salsa verde, and half of the green chiles and jalapeño. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another layer. Sprinkle the scallions and cilantro on top.
3. Bake for 5–7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
4. Garnish the nachos with dollops of sour cream and diced avocado. Serve warm.
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Steve says,
I’m going to try these recipes.
They look great.
Maureen says,
What a friendly site: articles are well-written and fun, and I can’t wait to try some of the snacks.
Thanks!