Salted Pretzel Caramel Dip

I absolutely LOVE anything salted caramel! This delicious sweet treat has all the sweet and salty goodness that I crave. And it's so super simple! You could take the time to make your own caramel sauce, but I just bought the jarred stuff, since you're mixing it with cream cheese anyway.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup caramel sauce (I bought the glass jar kind made for ice cream toppings)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• sea salt
• chocolate sauce (optional)
• pretzels

Mix all of the ingredients (except pretzels) together with a hand mixer. Top with chocolate sauce (optional) and sea salt. Serve with pretzels. Yum!

Salted Caramel Mashed Potatoes

Yes, you read that correctly. I can truly say this is a one of a kind recipe! I even googled it and it only came up with caramelized onion mashed potatoes. This one does have caramelized onions, but it also has real caramel!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 stick real butter
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 5-6 red potatoes, peeled
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk

Cut and boil potatoes in pot. In another skillet, melt butter and add onions. Cook onions on medium for about 10-15 minutes. Add brown sugar and continue to cook another 10, stirring frequently until thick caramel mixture remains. Drain potatoes and add caramel mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Mash with a masher or whip with a hand mixer.

Tonight we served with Thirty minute Chicken- Magical Moms StyleThirty Minute Chicken- Magical Moms Style.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Crack

This is by far one of mine and my husband's favorite sweet snacks. They are so rich and yummy that they are quite dangerous. My mother-in-law was here this weekend and took one bite and was hooked! They are pretty easy to make as well.

Ingredients:

• Waffle Pretzels (you can use any pretzels, I just like the waffle ones for this treat)
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

First arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet and pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Now start on the caramel. In a medium size pan, melt the 2 sticks of butter then add the brown sugar. Stir continuously and heat over med/high heat. You want the caramel mixture to get very bubbly and hot. You will need to stir continuously. If you have a gas stove, you may need to lower the heat so you don't burn the caramel mixture, but you want to keep it bubbling. If you have a candy thermometer, you will want to use it. You want the caramel to be about at a "soft crack." But don't worry, I've  made this without using my candy thermometer. You'll want to cook it about 10 minutes, but stirring constantly.

Pour the caramel over the pretzels and spread across the entire baking sheet. Stick the caramel covered pretzels in the oven for 5 minutes.

Pull out of the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the surface. Stick back in the oven for like a minute, just long enough that you can tell the chips are getting soft and melty. Do not leave them in there longer than a minute or the chocolate will burn.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, spread the melted chips. I let it cool on the stovetop then stick in the fridge for several hours. You need to wait until the chocolate is pretty hard, or else this becomes a sticky mess on your hands when you try to eat it.

Once cooled, just break into pieces and enjoy! Be sure to store in a covered container in the fridge.