Pizza pretzels are a 'crowd favorite' and fun twist on a classic snack

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Cookbook author and blogger Tieghan Gerard's new cookbook, "Half Baked Harvest: Quick & Cozy," is full of recipes that come together quickly and are excellent for feeding a family, she told Fox News Digital. 

"It's just the way that I cook, every single day and at home and for my family," Gerard said. "I really wanted to create a cookbook that reflected the style of cooking that I love so much." 

Gerard, author of the popular cooking blog "Half Baked Harvest," said that one of the reasons she grew to love cooking is that she's able to cook for those around her.

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"I was so excited to be able to create a cookbook that really just reflected how I cook," she said. The recipes are "simple" and "effortless - just, I think, what everybody needs year-round." 

One of her favorite recipes, which she shared with Fox News Digital, is for an appetizer she invented many years ago: pizza pretzels. 

"I love the pizza pretzels," she said. "They sound so funny, but they're so good and so easy to make - and always a crowd favorite." 

The dish starts with "kind of a larger, hard pretzel" and is topped with cheese, "pizza seasoning" and pepperoni before it's baked.

"If you're vegetarian, you could also leave the pepperoni off," she said. "It's such a funny appetizer, but it's so good." 

The idea for pizza pretzels came when her older brother, Creighton, was hungry before dinner time, the Colorado-based Gerard told Fox News Digital. 

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"I made Chex mix earlier in the day," she said - so she had pretzels on hand. She figured she should top them with cheese and pepperoni, thinking he would love it.

"Everyone ate them right up," she said. 

Serves many 

½ cup chopped fresh basil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

⅓ cup grated Asiago cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

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1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

Crushed red pepper flakes

12 Snyder's Olde Tyme pretzels

2 tablespoons, salted butter, melted

12 slices provolone cheese (about 4 ounces)

12 slices sandwich-style pepperoni (optional)

Warmed marinara sauce, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, combine the basil, Parmesan, Asiago, garlic, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Stir to mix well.

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3. On the prepared baking sheet, toss the pretzels with the melted butter, then arrange in a single layer. Sprinkle about ⅔ of the herbed cheese mixture over the top.

4. Bake until the cheese is just beginning to melt and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully place a slice of provolone on each pretzel, tearing the slices to fit. Top with a slice of pepperoni, if using.

5. Bake until the cheese is melted and the pepperoni is just beginning to crisp, 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the remaining herbed cheese mixture. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.

This recipe is owned by Tieghan Gerard and was shared with Fox News Digital.