Cheesy Pretzel Garlic Buns

Let me just paint you a little picture. Imagine a soft pretzel, a grilled cheese, and a loaf of garlic bread had a baby. That sounds like a naughty little slice of heaven, doesn’t it? Well, what if I told you that’s exactly what we’re making today. Buckle up, because we’re going on an epic ride for this one!

We’re going to start with some Hawaiian pretzel slider buns. I freaking love these little buns. They’re a little sweet. They’re a little salty. They’re a little chewy. They’re all the best parts of sweet Hawaiian bread and soft pretzels combined. So we’ll start by arranging the buns on a parchment lined baking sheet, breaking them apart into individual buns, and removing the tops to set aside for a few mins. Now, they’re ready to stuff.

To fill our buns, we’re going to make a cheesy garlic butter mix. We’ll take ½ a stick of softened butter, some garlic powder, some dried parsley, a little Italian seasoning, and two types of cheeses: cheddar and mozzarella; then toss them all into a bowl. We’ll mash the mix all together until it’s completely combined, then schmear that cheesy butter all over our bottom buns. It really could not be more simple.

Once our bottom layer is covered in cheesy butter, we’ll put the tops back on the buns. Then, we’re going to coat them with MORE butter. We’ll take that other half stick of butter, melt it in the microwave, then mix it with some dried parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Normally, I preach only using freshly shredded or grated parm, but the canned stuff is actually just fine for this recipe too. Mix the cheese into the butter, then use a brush to paint that beautiful butter all over the tops and sides of those buns. See, that’s why we pull them apart instead of leaving them attached. We want that parmesan butter to touch every nook and cranny.

Then, to the oven they go for a few minutes to get golden and gooey, and that’s all there is to it. I do recommend trying to use a small helping of self control and letting these cool down for a second before biting right into them. Everyone loves warm bread fresh from the oven, but we don’t need that hot cheese lava burning off our tastebuds. Ya feel me?

Like I said earlier, these little pockets of cheesy heaven taste just like I imagine the love child of garlic bread, soft pretzels, and a grilled cheese would taste like. Then, you have that surprise sweetness from the Hawaiian bread component of the pretzel buns, and the whole situation is pure magic.

I find these to be the right move in pretty much all situations. They’re a great little appetizer for a game day tailgate or party. They’re a nice little side dish for a bowl of soup or chili. They compliment scrambled eggs mixed with smoked gouda extremely well for breakfast. Basically what I’m saying is, it’s extremely easy to find reasons to make these.

Alright, everyone. I really don’t know how this happened, but it’s time to start transitioning into holiday recipes. Can you believe it? I feel extremely behind this year. But, I’m in full on planning mode for our 12 Days of… series this year. So if you have any ideas or anything you want to see, be sure to let me know!

I can’t wait to hear what you think of these. I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!