Smoked Venison Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Bites
These Smoked Venison Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Bites are everything you want in a wild game snack — smoky, cheesy, and dangerously easy to make. Italian venison sausage and sharp cheddar get wrapped in soft pretzel dough, smoked on the pellet grill, and served with a rich, mustardy beer cheese dip that’s perfect for game day, Thanksgiving, or hunting camp.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling:
- 1 lb Italian Venison Sausage
- 1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Pretzel Bites:
- 1 can refrigerated pizza dough
- 10 cups water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
- Coarse salt, for topping
- Melted butter, for brushing
Beer Cheese Dip:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- ¾ cup beer (lager or amber preferred)
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Brown the venison sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. (If you think your premade venison sausage is underseasoned, add in 1-2 teaspoons all purpose seasoning). Remove from heat, drain, and stir in shredded cheddar while warm.
- Unroll the pizza dough and cut into 2-inch squares. Add a spoonful of the sausage mixture to the center of each, fold, and pinch the edges to seal into a ball.
- Bring water and baking soda to a boil. Once boiling, drop the pretzel bites in for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on parchment paper or a grill pan.
- Preheat your pellet grill to 400°F with Bear Mountain Tailgate blend Pellets.
- Brush each bite with melted butter, and place into your grill for and cook for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
- While they cook, either on the stove top or on your grill, melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in flour for 1 minute. Slowly add beer, then milk, whisking until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth.
- Brush the pretzel bites with more melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt when they come off the grill. Serve hot with the beer cheese dip.