Pretzel Breaded Chicken with Guinness Cheese Sauce

So it seems like every post begins the same way...It has been too long since I have cooked. The truth is more so...It has been to long since I have cooked anything new. So over the 4th of July we were up in Northern Michigan (still in the LP), and I had an idea for what I thought would be a quick tasty dinner. Although I must admit it would not be a healthy option. But it turned out to be very tasty...I would make a few changes to it next time (I will note them). I also made 2 different types of cheese sauce, rather same sauce with 2 different beers, Guinness and Smithwick's. Both were good but the Guinness had much better taste. Hope you enjoy.

Guinness Beer Cheese Sauce
1/2 Clove of Garlic
1 C Guinness Irish Stout (Smithwick's makes a more traditional looking sauce, but I liked the taste of the Stout)
1 C fresh shredded Cheddar
1 C fresh shredded Colby jack
1/2 C Velveeta cheese small cubes
3 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp yellow mustard
Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper


Rub the bottom and side of a heavy saucepan with the cut garlic. Place the garlic clove in the pan, add the beer, and bring to a boil over high heat. Put shredded cheese and cornstarch in a bowl, toss to mix. Sprinkle the cheese into the boiling beer, stirring it with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce come back to a boil; Add the Velveeta. Sauce should thicken, if needed mix 2parts cornstarch to 1 part water and pour in to thicken. Reduce the heat slightly, stir in the mustard, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer gently until smooth and rich-tasting, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring steadily with the wooden spoon. You can fish out and discard the garlic clove; otherwise,someone will get to eat it.

Pretzel Breaded Chicken

2 Chicken Breast
2 C Crushed Sourdough Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels (I made them into an almost powder, but I would go more course next time)
2 Eggs
1/8 C Milk (appox)
1 C Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put Pretzel into a food processor to coarsely ground and place into a flat bottom container. Mix salt, pepper, and Flour into anther flat bottom container. Beat Eggs and milk together in a third flat bottom container. Dry the chicken and first place into the flour mix and coat. Transfer the floured chicken into the egg wash and then in to the pretzels. In a large pan coat the bottom with olive oil and heat oil. Preheat oven to 350°. Brown each side of the chicken in the pan. Then place on to a baking sheet and place into the oven for 15-20 mins, internal temperature of 160°. Top with Cheese and serve with Tator Tots or Sweet Potatoes Fries.