Beer Cheese

Beer Cheese....who could resist trying out a recipe with that title?  ;)  Grazing in the Bluegrass posted this recipe and I had to give it a whirl.  I took some liberties with it of course.  Don't let the modest appearance fool you....this is a great dip.  I was pressed for time when I was putting this together so I'm pretty sure I took the most unimpressive picture ever. 

I think I would add in roasted peppers or possibly some bacon next time to experiment a bit with the flavor.  This dip would also make a fabulous filling for poppers or mushroom caps.  The texture would lend itself nicely to piping from a pastry bag.  I always turn to cream cheese for my spreadable cheese concoctions, but this opens up some more options.

A word of caution.....you want the dip around room temperature when you let the guests dig in.  It will resist dipping and spreading when it's chilled....learned that one the hard way.  ;)


Beer Cheese

16oz Sharp Cheddar, cubed roughly
1 tbls diced garlic
1 1/2 tbls Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tbls Choulala hot sauce
1/2 cup beer (I used Newcastle Brown Ale)

Put your cheese cubes into a food processor to break them down into small chunks.  Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and hot sauce.  Add the beer gradually while continuing to beat the cheese. It should become of a firm but spreadable consistency. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.