Cheesy Beef Pretzel Pockets

This is a recipe that I have had on my list to write up for some time. It is a favorite in our house because it has an indulgent, yet ‘comfort food’ feel, with a dose of vegetables that help keep the guilt at bay. It is also a great meal for kids! It has a sort of “Hamburger Helper™ " quality while adding in nutritious vegetables such as butternut or other winter squashes and some greens. For children that have challenges with eating vegetables, they won’t mind eating their veggies! 

So why did it take me so long to write up the recipe? I simply didn’t know what to call it! On top of that, it is not my usual as it is one of the few times I use a processed food product. Everything in moderation, right? The filling is simple enough to make, combining a handful of ingredients and then wrapping dough around it, but it gets taken up a notch. I use a cheat to “pretzel-ize” the dough and sprinkle some salt on top. While it is optional, it really takes the meal up to another level. That is if you like pretzels! Is dough-making not your thing or you are short on time? You can use pre-made pizza, biscuit, or crescent roll dough instead and still use the pretzel trick. 

This morning I sent a photo of the dish and its explanation to a good friend and asked what he would call it. After some generic flops, he sent a text that started out with; “Don’t make fun but I thought of...” 

What text followed? The Burgtzel. I’ll admit, I did laugh……a lot. However, as time passed, it grew on me. So be on the lookout for more Burgtzels since now my brain is swimming with ideas!

These are double portions! You can either make 6 regular sized ones or make larger ones for hungry folks or they are easy to wrap up for another meal.

The sweetness of the squash gives these a great flavor profile. It also visually blends well with the cheese.

Different way of closing the dough.

---

Recipe Card

Note: I highly suggest having a digital scale in your kitchen. It takes the guesswork out and makes baking recipes a lot more successful. All of my recipes are written in metric weights. If you do not have a scale and need to convert a recipe or ingredient to volume, you can use the buttons to the right and copy /paste the recipe into the handy recipe conversion tool or the single ingredient conversion.

Servings

6

Author

Corinne Minshall

Prep time

40 Min

Cook time

40 Min

Chilling Time

60 Min

Total time

2 H & 20 M

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Cheesy beef Hand Pies aka Burgtzel

This is a household favorite! Combining the flavors of a cheeseburger into a handheld pretzel, what could be better? It is also a great way to get children to eat their veggies!

Ingredients

Dough Recipe

• 300 grams / 10.5 oz bread flour
• 7 grams/ .25 oz instant yeast
• 7 grams/ .25 oz kosher salt
• 20 grams/.70 oz brown sugar
• 40 grams/ 1.4 oz unsalted butter, room temp
• 160 grams/ 5.6 oz water

Filling

• 454 grams/ 16 oz ground beef
• 400 grams/ 14 oz butternut squash or sweet potato, medium dice.
• 170 grams/ 6 oz Velveeta cheese, medium dice.
• 170 grams/ 6 oz spinach, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tbsp baharat spice blend (optional)
• 2 oz sherry or white wine (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

“Pretzel” wash

• 4 oz water
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
• pretzel salt or course sea salt 

Method

Dough

1. Preheat oven to 425℉
2. Weigh out the flour and add the yeast, salt, and sugar, stirring to combine.
3. Add softened butter and massage it into the flour mixture to disperse it.
4. Add water and mix until a workable dough forms
5. If kneading by hand, rub a small amount of oil on your surface and turn the dough out. Knead for 10-15 minutes by hand or 5-7 minutes if using a dough hook on a mixer.
6. Roll it into a ball and place in a bowl, cover, and proof for 1 hour.

Filling

1. Put the butternut squash into a baking dish and toss lightly with some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast for 25 minutes at 425℉.*
2. Season the beef with the baharat spice blend, lightly massaging it into the beef, and set aside.
3. Pour a drizzle of oil into a skillet and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until they are starting to become translucent. 
4. Added the spiced beef and brown until cooked throughout. 
5. Pour in the sherry to deglaze the pan and add the spinach on top, allowing it to wilt before stirring into the beef mixture. About 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and set aside until squash is finished in the oven,

Assemble the Hand Pies

1. Divide the dough into 3 or 6 equal portions and allow them to rest while you complete step 2.
2. Fold the roasted squash and Velveeta into the beef mixture, taking care not to smoosh the squash. Divide the mixture into 3 or 6 equal portions.*
3. Take 1 portion of dough and roll it out. I prefer to keep the middle of the dough a bit thicker and then roll out the edges a bit thinner.
4. Place 1 portion of the beef mixture into the center of the dough. Bring up the sides of the dough and gather them together, pressing the dough together.
5. Once it is fully sealed, take the pie and roll it into the shape you want, and allow the seams to blend.
6. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down and proof for 15-20 minutes.

Wash and Bake

1. Put the water and baking soda into a saucepan and heat it until the baking soda starts to foam. Remove from heat.
2. Brush the outside of the pies with the baking soda wash.
3. Make a slash in the top of the pie to allow steam to vent.
4. Place in the oven at 400℉ and bake for 20 minutes.*
5. After 20 minutes, brush the pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
6. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until a golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and serve,

* Notes (if you see an * please check here):

• The butternut squash does not need to be fully cooked during roasting.
• The easiest way to divide the beef mixture and the dough is to weigh each of them and then divide from there.
• After 10 minutes I like to brush the pies again with the baking soda mixture, but this is optional.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @myjourneybacktobasics on instagram and hashtag it #myb2bjourney