Little Smokie Pretzel Bites with Honey Mustard, Cheddar and Apple Jelly

When I think of a party, I think of those little one or two bite passed hors d’oeuvres -- or "wingdings" as I sometimes call them. These little smokie pretzel bites are the perfect appetizer to bring a bit of seasonal whimsy to the party, featuring a little smokie nestled in a miniature pretzel bun with honey mustard, and topped with sharp cheddar and a dollop of apple jelly.

I find these to be a fun appetizer for all sorts of entertaining from BBQs to tailgates -- to even being passed at a more formal event. I love that they almost look a little bit like a football -- making them perfect for fall football season right through to big game day!

I notched up the flavor profile here using aged cheddar cheese, my favorite band of prepared honey mustard (Honeycup) and topped them with apple jelly. But for sure good old fashioned American cheese, ketchup, yellow mustard and pickle relish will be a hit too!

(Oh -- and can't forget to mention how much kids love these!)

Ingredients

• soft pretzel bites, such as Pretzilla or King's Hawaiian
• little smokies
• prepared honey mustard (see recipe for an alternative you can make)
• sliced sharp English cheddar
• prepared apple jelly (substituted Major Grey’s mango chutney or peach preserves)

See recipe card for quantities.

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Instructions

Hint: To get the little smokie pretzel bites to stay upright in the baking dish simply press down on the little smokie to flatten out the pretzel bite seam.

Substitutions

• Pretzel Bites -- I prefer the Pretzilla brand simply because they look like little footballs, but there are other brands such as King's Hawaiian that would work well here too. Pretzel bites are most often found in the deli section of grocery stores
• Honey Mustard - I used my favorite brand of honey mustard -- Honeycup. It has the perfect balance of sweet and sharp, but any brand would work fine. I've also included a simple recipe to make your own honey mustard
• Cheese - I used sharp English cheddar because it works well with the salty little smokie and the sweet apple jelly. Consider using any kind of cheddar, gouda, American or havarti. Maybe even smoked gouda
• Apple Jelly -- Try peach preserves, apple butter, fig jam, Major Grey's mango chutney or pepper jelly instead

Variations

• Spicy - instead of apple jelly and cheddar, top it with pepper jelly and pepper jack cheese
• All-American - top the little smokie with American cheese and replace the honey mustard with yellow mustard and ketchup. Top with pickle relish.

Equipment

• skillet
• 13" x 9" baking dish

Storage

While these can be assembled in advance and refrigerated, they are best served right out of the oven.

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