Pretzel Crusted Chicken Strips {with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce}.

I’ve written before on the magnificent power of a chicken strip.  For that matter a chicken finger, nugget, or any form of tender juicy crusted chicken bites.  They are universally loved by carnivores, especially at gatherings that often involve televised sports aka Game Day!

We’ve used pecans to coat our Pecan-Crusted Trout, Sage-Pecan Pesto Encrusted Turkey Tenderloin, and Pecan Salmon Caesar Salad.  All were delicious.  Our Cheez-It Crusted Buffalo Chicken Fingers delivered awe-mazing.  So when we chose pretzels to crust our chicken strips, we got all the great crunch and flavor, with less fat and calories.  And they’re baked, so no oil required.  Are you feeling a WIN like I am?!

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Pretzel Crusted Chicken Strips {with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce}

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For chicken strips…

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into1/2-inch thick strips
• 1 cup egg whites
• 2 cups flour seasoned with salt & pepper
• 3 cups crushed pretzels
• spray olive oil for baking

For honey mustard dipping sauce…

• 3 Tbl. honey
• 3 Tbl. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbl. mayonnaise

Instructions

For chicken strips…

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with olive oil spray.
• Dredge chicken strips in seasoned flour, then into egg whites, then press into crushed pretzels. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips. Spray tops with olive oil spray.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half way through cooking time.

For honey mustard dipping sauce…

• Combine all ingredients, adjust according to taste.

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I struggled with what to call these heavenly bars. I kicked around a few ideas.  Pretzel Toffee Bars.  Chocolate Coconut Layered Love Bars.  Magic Bars.  Seven Layer Bars.  Toothachers Met Their Match Bars.  Truth be told…they are a casserole with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  A dessert casserole.  I’m not sure anyone would click on a recipe called dessert casserole.

As I typed that, Decadent Dessert Casserole popped into my head, which actually might be good.

Blogger note:  You really must be careful when typing straight from the thought train.  Because while Decadent Dessert Casserole popped into my head, I typed Decadent Dessert Casserole pooped into my head.  And That’s NOT AT ALL what I was thinking.  Phew, thank goodness for proof-reading.

Phew.

I’m beginning to question my every word.  Do you read Phew as in relief…boy that was a close one OR as an expression of disgust? PU.  I’m not making this recipe any better am I??

Clear your minds.  Let’s try this again.  I still had leftover baking supplies from Christmas that needed to be used.  I also had an opportunity to make someone’s day.  We were smack in the middle of team-building exercises leading up to our annual company meeting.  We were revisiting the Fish Philosophy! ten years after we first introduced it to our team.  I was on Team “Be There” and one of our own was celebrating a birthday.  OOooo. Me me.  Let me bake something!!

So I baked a batch of Seven Layer Magic Bars.  Except I replaced the first layer with the base to our most treasured family recipe…Toothacher Bars.  Which added confusion to the title.  I’m not really sure how many layers these bars technically have.  I think I’m having a cooking fail right now.

Wait!  What am I saying?  These were the bomb.  No one that I served them to cared one iota what they were called.  Is anyone else surprised that my spellchecker didn’t scream red when I typed iota.  I’ve never used that word in print.

Point being, that when you layer things like pretzels, caramel, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans and drizzle them with sweetened condensed milk, you are going to make people very happy.  I’m convinced now that I should have simply called this reipce…Make Their Day Magic Bars.

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Seven Layer Magic Bars aka Make Their Day Magic Bars

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 6 Tbl. butter melted
• 25 caramels unwrapped
• 1 Tbl. milk
• 3 cups Snyder’s Buttersnaps broken slightly
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 14- ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In microwave safe bowl, combine caramels with milk and microwave on high until completely melted, stirring at 30 second intervals, about 2 minutes.
• In large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter, and baking soda. Mixture will be thick and stiff.
• Press mixture into bottom of parchment lined 9×13 pan. Pour melted caramel over top and spread evenly. Sprinkle on pretzel pieces, chocolate chips, coconut, and chopped pecans.
• Pour can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

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Our Pretzel Crusted Pork Tenderloin {Stuffed with Jalapeño Peach Cream Cheese} would make a delicious Sunday dinner, but is easy enough for a weeknight meal.  This recipe was born out of our new found love of skillet jams.  A fantastic way to turn the fruits of the summer into recipe inspiration.

Begin with a batch of Peach Jalapeño Skillet Jam.  This can be made up to a week in advance.  We love this poured over a block of cream cheese with a side of crackers or pretzels for dipping.  Which is precisely how this recipe came to be.

To prepare the pork tenderloin remove from the package, rinse and pat dry.  Then make a deep slit (about 1-inch thick) the length of the tenderloin, using care not to cut all the way through to the other side.  Open the tenderloin like a book and lay between two pieces of plastic wrap.  Using a meat mallet, gently pound the tenderloin to an even 1/2-inch thickness.

Cut 5-6 pieces of butchers twine about 8-inches long.  Slide them underneath the tenderloin as shown above.  Spread a layer of cream cheese and about one cup of cold peach skillet jam onto the tenderloin.

Recipe note:  to avoid cross contamination, portion out the jalapeno peach jam and cream cheese from their containers before filling the tenderloin. This way you’re not tempted to scoop another spoonful.

Tie each piece of string in a knot, sealing the filling inside.  Trim excess twine.  I like to use tooth picks or skewers to secure the ends to keep all the yummy filling from oozing out.

Brush the tenderloin generously with olive oil or egg whites, then place into pretzel crumb mixture.  Use your hands to press the crumbs onto all sides of the pork.  Trust me, you’re going to love this crispy pretzel coating.

In order to get a nicely browned pretzel crust, I like to start the browning in an olive oil coated non-stick skillet.  Brown the tenderloin over medium heat on all sides, then transfer to a baking dish to finish in a 350 degree oven.  How long you pan brown the tenderloin will affect the cooking time.  Check for doneness after 30 minutes by inserting an instant read meat thermometer into the pork (not through to the filling); you’ll want 150 degrees.  When done remove from the oven and cover with foil.  Allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

A beautiful thing happens with this roast.  The meat is juicy and tender, the peach cream cheese filling mostly stays in place, while the pretzel coating becomes nice and crispy.  The combination of textures and flavors is delightful.  Pretzel Crusted Pork Tenderloin {Stuffed with Jalapeño Peach Cream Cheese} was even delicious the next day, making it a great take-to-work lunch.  I love those (and so do my lunch buddies).

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Spending Friday afternoon in the warehouse, checking and packing orders, was a wonderful reminder of how teamwork can propel a small company.  Laying wide awake in bed early Saturday morning…told me where my heart was.

When Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares appeared on my Pinterest feed, I knew they needed to be delivered to all my awesome workmates.

5 Simple Ingredients (from left to right ): chocolate chips, confectioners sugar, peanut butter, pretzels, and butter.

3 Easy “No-Bake” Steps.

Step #1 ~ Combine crushed pretzels, peanut butter, confectioners sugar, and melted butter; then press into the bottom of a parchment lined 9×13 baking pan.

Step #2 ~ Melt chocolate chips with peanut butter in microwave.  Spread over pretzel crust and chill for one hour.

Step #3 ~ Cut into squares and Share the Love.

I shared these Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares chilled at 3 o’clock pm on a work day.  They were a hit!

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Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares {no-bake}

Servings 24

Author Food Network

Ingredients

For pretzel crust…

• 1 1/2 sticks butter melted
• 2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter

For chocolate layer…

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions

• Lay a piece of parchment paper across a 9×13 baking pan. In a medium bowl combine pretzel crust ingredients; press evenly into prepared pan.
• In microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips with 1/4 cup peanut butter in 30 second intervals; stirring after each. Spread melted chocolate mixture over pretzel crust. Chill for at least one hour.
• Cut into squares and share the love.

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Salted Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Bark.

It was time for a new Adventure in Chocolate.  And it was time to {Share the Love} at work.  We have been slammed (in the very best way).  It was time to deliver a little ‘out of sight’ sweet treat. This afternoon worked out perfectly.

This recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Café is so simple (5 ingredients) with quick results (15 minutes) allowed me to come home at lunch and whip up the magic.

Mini Pretzels, broken up and spread on a shallow sheet pan.  Far out.  Butter and brown sugar happening…in the background, becoming…caramel love.  Do you hear the 70s ‘soul-dude’ voice narrating for me.

Hot caramel love, slowly poured over a bed of pretzel ‘peace’ ssss…

Semi-sweet chips…filling in the grooves.  Mmm Hmm.  Groovy.

Break this into hunks of Salted Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Bark goodness and jump back.  My word.  This dish is outta. sight.

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Salted Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Bark

Course Dessert

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• About 8 oz. half of a 1-pound bag mini pretzels, broken into smaller pieces.
• 1 cups 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 cups one 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips
• Sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 11 x 17 shallow rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Cover bottom of pan with broken pretzel pieces. Set aside.
• In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Whisk together until combined. When mixture begins to gently simmer and bubble, let it cook for 3 minutes undisturbed (no stirring). Immediately pour hot caramel over pretzel pieces in a back and forth motion to cover most of the pretzels, a few bare spots are okay.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot caramel and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes until they melt. Use an offset or rubber spatula to gently spread the chocolate over the toffee. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to cool completely at room temperature then refrigerate if needed to help the chocolate set.

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Today we are honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Day at my office.  Pink Power is in full swing.  Last year, for this same occasion, I attempted Homemade Soft Pretzels for the first time and they were a hit.  I think we have a new tradition in the making.

First step is to make the dough, which will need to rest for about an hour before the real fun begins.  The original recipe by Alton Brown calls for using a stand mixer with the dough attachment.  The first time I made these I thought I could get away with not breaking out the mixer….nope, found out real quick that my arm attached to a wooden spoon was no match for dough hooks.  If you don’t have a mixer, use your hands to mix and knead until the dough is smooth.

Once the dough is ready, I used my pastry cutter (that is now guaranteed to be used at least once per year) to cut the dough into equal size smaller balls…about 20 for the pretzel size I chose.

Each ball is rolled into a rope and then formed into your shape of choice.  Don’t get too consumed with how they look at this point.  The dough is very elastic-like and has a mind of it’s own.  Rest each pretzel on a parchment lined baking sheet that has been lightly brushed with oil.  Once all of the balls have been formed into shape, they are boiled in baking soda & water for about 30 seconds.  Poof…this is when they really take shape.  Once they’ve all had a dip in the hot tub, brush them with beaten egg/water mixture and sprinkle with pretzel salt.  Then it’s into the oven to be baked to a deep golden brown.

For this special occasion I used Himalayan Pink Sea Salt.  Just go along with me on this one and pretend these are pink.

Cool them for at least 5 minutes on racks before eating.  This will be difficult.  The fresh baked bread smell will have them lined up around the cooling racks counting down the minutes.

By request, I made a Cheesy Crab Dip to go with our Homemade Soft Pretzels.  Made a basic white sauce, added shredded cheddar, and a good scoop of Cajun Crab Dip from my local seafood counter.   Boom Bam…..Yum!

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Homemade Soft Pretzels {with Cheesy Crab Dip}

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 44 minutes minutes

Author Alton Brown

Ingredients

For the pretzels…

• 1 1/2 cups warm 110 – 115 degrees F water
• 1 Tbl. sugar
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 22 oz. all-purpose flour about 4 1/2 cups
• 2 oz. unsalted butter melted
• Vegetable oil for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbl. water
• Pretzel salt

For the cheese dip…

• 2 Tbl. butter
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 cup milk
• 4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb
• 1 cup prepared Cajun crab dip

Instructions

Preparing the dough…

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top.
• Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
• Add the flour and melted butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined.
• Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, approximately 4 -5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a well oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for 50 – 55 minutes until the dough has doubled in size.

To make the pretzels…

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan.
• In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces (or more if making smaller pretzels or pretzel bites).
• Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2″ – 3/4″ in diameter.
• For a traditional pretzel each rope should be about 24 inches long. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place on the parchment lined sheets.
• Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Then remove from the water using a large flat spatula.
• Return to the baking sheets, brush the to of each with the beaten egg yolk/water mixture and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake until dark golden brown, approximately 12 – 14 minutes.
• Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

To make the cheese dip…

• In a small sauce pan, melt butter over med-low heat, then add flour stirring constantly until bubbly.
• Then add milk and stir until blended and sauce has thickened.
• Remove from heat and add shredded cheddar and cheese wedge and stir to melt.
• Then add crab dip and mix to combine and return to heat to warm through.
• Serve warm.

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