Bacon Jam & Brie-Filled Pretzel Rolls

in Appetizers, Bread, Brie, Favorite bloggers, Tailgating Favorites

Bacon Jam & Brie-Filled Pretzel Rolls

I spent this past weekend pregaming for Part I of The Shawnda Super Bowl (not yet trademarked). Because nothing makes watching football more fun than a last-second-thriller between your two favorite teams and stuffing your face with bacon- and cheese-stuffed carbs.

The closer the game and the bigger the special teams implosion? The more you eat.

True story.

Bacon Jam & Brie-Filled Pretzel Rolls

The idea behind those beautifully delicious and incredibly addictive pretzel rolls came from my friend Tara. She’s the gal behind one of my all-time favorite blogs, Smells Like Home. In addition to enabling my Stuff-Yo’-Face-Sunday habit, she’s also the creator of one of our favorite dinners in rotation right now: Creamy Chicken Sausage and Spinach Pasta.

That 1/2 cup of white wine needed for the pasta recipe is the perfect excuse to crack open a bottle on a Monday night. You know, if your fantasy – or real – quarterback didn’t break his collarbone and you need an excuse.

And then the justification to go ahead and polish it off because WTH is “leftover wine” and why, Aaron Rodgers, WHY?!!

Bacon Jam & Brie-Filled Pretzel Rolls

I made just a few minor changes to the original recipe:
– I made smaller rolls, which actually worked out to a perfect 2-dozen because:
– I was forced to scale down the recipe after knocking the flour container off the countertop. And as a result:
– I used way more f-words than Tara had to (I don’t actually have any proof of this) but was thankful that:
– I didn’t get a letter from The Little’s teacher in her take-home folder yesterday, which means she didn’t repeat any “Mommy Words” at school.
– I filled the rolls with scrape-the-jar-and-lick-the-spoon bacon jam and brie. Which probably explains why:
– I’ve had to lay on the bed to zip up my jeans this week.

Hopefully those things zip a little easier by the time Part II of The Shawnda Super Bowl rolls around next month.

Bacon Jam & Brie-Filled Pretzel Rolls

If you’re not up for making your own, HEB currently has BOGO jars of “Better Than Good” Bacon Jam. It’s a bit more savory (hello, Worcestershire!) than the popular Martha Stewart recipe than was everywhere on the internet last year and, well, some days you just can’t beat the convenience of open-jar-insert-spoon.

Bacon Jam & Brie-Filled Pretzel Rolls

Bacon Jam & Brie-Filled Pretzel Rolls

The ultimate fancy tailgating food: soft pretzel rolls filled with bacon jam and brie.

Ingredients

  • 1 package dry active yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 1/3 cups warm milk
  • 2 tsp oil (I used olive)
  • 1 1/3 tsp salt
  • 5 - 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 8 oz wheel of brie, cut into ~1/2-inch x 1-inch blocks (you need 24)
  • 9 oz jar (or a generous 1 cup) of bacon jam
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 Tbsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • Coarse salt

Instructions

  1. Place the water in a large bowl or the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the warm milk, oil, salt, and 4 cups of the flour and mix on low until incorporated.
  3. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time at first, until the dough is still tacky but firm enough to climb the dough hook (you may not use all the flour - the dough should be soft and will not completely come off the sides of the bowl).
  4. Let the dough rise covered in a lightly-oiled boil for 2 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425 and lightly grease or line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  6. Bring the water, sugar, and baking soda to a simmer in a large sauce pan.
  7. Divide the dough into ~24 pieces. A scale makes this easy - my dough balls weighed in at ~2 oz each.
  8. Flatten each dough ball out, top with a chunk of brie and a small spoon of bacon jam, and then bring the edges of the dough up and and crimp/pinch to seal. Set aside on the prepared baking pans while you finish the rest.
  9. Boil the pretzel rolls in batch of 3-4 for 45 seconds on each side, drain (a slotted spatula and a stack of paper towels or napkins are your best friends), and then transfer to the baking sheets.
  10. Use a sharp knife to score 2-3 slits into the top of each roll, taking care not to cut too deeply and creating a fabulously oozy, cheesy mess.
  11. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until dark golden brown.
  12. Eat hot straight from the oven or warmed for a halftime snack.
  13. Or eat straight-from-the-fridge cold for breakfast.
  14. I don't judge.

Notes

Yields: 24 rolls

Adapted from Smells Like Home and Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Estimated time: 3 hours

12 comments… add one
  • Robby

    These look very, very good. So good I cannot possibly make them until I have some place to take them. I’m not saying all 24 would get there, but there must be a destination for some of them.

  • I feel your FF pain…. I was in a similar boat when Arian Foster left the Texans game the other night. Considering my other RB option for the week was Ben Tate, whom was already benched due to Foster being announced as playing! Grr!

    PS – must. try. these. now!

  • Ooooh, I love that bacon and brie combo!! I definitely need to try making these next Sunday as a football treat!

  • And all of a sudden I am SO grateful for football season…since it means I can make these EVERY WEEKEND.

  • I stuff my face on Saturdays watching college football so I can definitely get behind these rolls. I know what I’m doing with my bacon jam…

  • This is pure genius, especially the bacon jam. My fantasy football team makes me want to cry this year – it’s so bad it’s not even funny.

  • Amazing idea –love it!

  • These look absolutely delicious, Shawnda! Love the bacon jam and brie combo!

  • Missy-in-NJ

    Oh YES! I just bought a jar of bacon jam last week and I was like, umm, yummy, but now what am I going to do with this?

  • Oh my goodness.
    Even the uncooked version of this looks HEAVENLY!
    Wow, great creation!

  • Yum, I’ve had some of that bacon jam from HEB, it is delicious. Add brie and a pretzel roll? That’s just not fair!

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