Bacon Cheeseburger Pretzel Bombs

This recipe was quite something to put together and I do not mean making the bombs. I had seen this idea for cheeseburger pretzel bombs, but did not like some of the ingredients and some of the process. I had an idea of what ingredients I wanted to use and how I want to make them, then I happen to came across a recipe that was similar in what I was thinking. I tweaked the recipe a little bit and still used part of the original recipe to create these delicious bacon cheeseburgers wrapped inside a soft pretzel.

 

The ingredient list for these is long and it does take a bit of time to make these, but there are things you can do make the process a little bit easier. The dough can be made the day before you plan to serve them and can rise in the refrigerator. The meat mixture has to be cooled after cooking, so you can make that the day before as well and refrigerate. Then all you have to do on the day you plan to serve them is add the remaining ingredients to the meat mixture, divide the dough and assemble the bombs, boil the bombs to make them a pretzel and bake. Still some work to make them but so worth it.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pretzel Bombs

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water (about 120º F)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 6 slices low sodium turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon water
• coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. In a glass measuring cup, stir together the water, yeast and sugar.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add in the flour, oil and salt.
3. Pour the water mixture over top and knead until a soft dough forms and is slightly tacky when touched, but does not stick to your fingers.
4. Place the dough ball in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel.
5. If using the dough the same day allow to rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours. If using the dough the next day, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and allow to rise until ready to use the next day.
6. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey and onions until the turkey is completely cooked.
7. Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. 
8. Preheat the oven to 425º F.
9. Once the meat mixture has cooled, stir in the cheddar cheese, chopped pickles, ketchup, mustard and bacon.
10. Cut the dough into 28 equal sized pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten it into about a 3 inch circle.
11. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the dough circle. Tightly pinch the dough up around the filling making sure to seal it well. Place the dough balls, seam side down, onto a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces and filling.
12. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the baking soda and allow the water to return to a boil.
13. Add about 5 dough balls to the pot and boil for 20-30 seconds. Remove the dough balls with a slotted spoon, dab on a paper towel and return the the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
14. Whisk the egg with the water and brush the tops and sides of each dough ball. Sprinkle the tops of each dough ball with sea salt.
15. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

The sodium levels are high for this recipe, but that is because the baking soda has over 15,000 mg of sodium in it, which is over 1,000 mg per serving. I do not know how much baking soda the dough absorbs when it is boiled, so I included the whole amount of baking soda in the nutritional info.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 14
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 371
Total Fat		13g
Saturated Fat		4.6g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat		0.6g
Cholesterol		107.2mg
Sodium		1683.1mg
Total Carbohydrates		43.3g
Dietary Fiber		1.8g
Sugars		4g
Protein		19.3g
Calcium		10%
Iron		18.2%
Potassium		55.9mg
Vitamin A		2.6%
Vitamin C		2.9%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Tasty and Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen.