Happy New Year!  This year on NYE, Jake and I stayed home and made an array of appetizers (including this recipe) to enjoy with a few bottles of Prosecco and the Anderson Cooper/Kathy Griffin countdown show on CNN.  This was the first year in many that we have both actually made it to midnight, so that was pretty magical.  I guess what it really means is that Lily finally sleeps enough on a regular basis that we are rested enough to watch the ball drop.  And to prove how much we are loved, she let us sleep until 8:30am on January 1st.  Sweet, blissful sleep.

I made this cheesy beer dip to go with pretzel bites that I made using Fleischmann's Simply Homemade mix.  Homemade pretzels are something I made last year and loved.  I still do.  Those frozen pretzels that you put into the microwave are just so sad in comparison to warm, fresh ones.  And don't get me started on the frozen/reheated pretzels at sports game that the venue charges $7.50 each for.  But I digress.  So, clearly fresh is best, and this mix was super convenient because it has the same taste as other homemade pretzels, but with semi-homemade convenience.  All you do is add water to the mix, boil the dough in baking soda water, and then bake.  The whole process takes less than an hour!   I'll definitely start trying different variations and mix-ins for football playoffs and March Madness, so I'll let you know what's good.  

Beer, Jalapeno, and Cheddar Cheese Dip

2 tsp olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced pickled jalapenos (less if you don't want it to be spicy) 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk 2 egg yolks 1 tsp brown mustard 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian if you have it) 1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce 4 cups (16 oz) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded 1 can beer (an amber is good - I used Yuengling) 3 Tbsp cornstarch Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat the oil on medium-high.  Add in the onion, jalapenos, garlic powder, and salt.  Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and starting to get translucent.  Lower the heat and add the milk, egg yolks, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce.

In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into 3 Tbsp water.  Once the sauce is warm (you don't want it to boil, just have steam), add the beer and cornstarch mixture and whisk. Slowly add the cheese and stir until it is completely melted.  Cook until the sauce thickens, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm over lowest heat setting, stirring frequently, or in a small slow cooker on the "keep warm" setting (though keep an eye on it so that it doesn't become grainy). Serve with soft pretzels, such as Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Pretzel Bites.

Source: L+K Original

Disclosure: Fleischmann's provided me with the Simply Homemade Pretzel Mix that I used to make the pretzels, but my opinions are my own.