TGI Friday's Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese Dip - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

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.

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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.

See Also

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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!

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• Fried Mozzarella
• Jack Daniels Sauce

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