Craft Beer Cheese Dip

With only 7 ingredients, this Easy Craft Beer Cheese recipe is game day essential that you will want to slather on everything!

Tailgating and Super Bowl Party food is right up my alley. I love game day and all the fanfare that surround it. And what goes better with football than beer, snacks and cheese dip? Nothing. As we began to plan our posts going into the big game, Jackie really wanted me to make pretzels and and my famous beer cheese. I have a tendency to brainstorm ideas, easily forgetting what our next recipe should be. This beer cheese idea was a particularly tough mental block for me, probably because I make it all the time for us so I forget that we have never shared it on the blog. Each time I would forget, my girl would politely remind me. After several reminders, I realized that there was no way of getting around it. Thankfully, this Craft Beer Cheese Dip turned out to be an incredible recipe that we are excited to share.

Ingredients:

BUTTER: margarine will work work in a pinch

FLOUR: AP Flour works best

GARLIC (chopped): Adds depth of flavor

DARK PAPRIKA: for that extra pop!

CREAM CHEESE: essential for the creamy texture

CHEDDAR CHEESE (shredded): shred your own for best results

BEER: we like a craft style IPA beer for that bitter, hoppy punch of flavor

How to make Beer Cheese:

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Then add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1 minute.
2. Add bottle of beer and whisk until smooth.
3. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic and paprika and continue to whisk until all cheese has melted and product is smooth (about 5 minutes).

Sometimes it seems much easier to stop by the local market and pick up the a jar of processed beer cheese. However, this recipe proves it is worth the time and effort to bypass the store-bought variety and create your own. Its fresh, creamy texture is second to none, and the hoppy IPA flavor really comes through. We prefer it with our homemade Everything Soft Pretzels recipe, cut into bites and fresh out of the oven. But we also like it as a dip for tortilla chips, fresh veggies, or even slathered on a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. You can make the cheese ahead of time, and have the pretzel dough prepared so that the pretzels are exiting the oven just as the coin flip happens.  Our teams may be out of contention, but this recipe is sure to win some fans.

Expert Tips:

1. Creamy and cheesy, this recipe can also be used as a beer cheese sauce. There is no milk or heavy cream in the recipe (just cheese) so it is thick and perfect for dipping, not runny!
2. In our opinion, he best beer for beer cheese is a nice, hoppy IPA (craft beer style). It creates a great depth of flavor. You can substitute a lager, pilsner, or even a non-alcoholic beer, but the flavor profile will be a bit more mild.
3. We prefer a sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe. When combined with beer, it really is the best option.
4. Make ahead: you can make this dip ahead of time. Store it in the fridge and heat it up in a sauce pan (or microwave) minutes before you are ready to serve. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve it with tortilla chips, guacamole, and homemade Pineapple Salsa for a football style fiesta!
• Slather it on Burgers on Chicken Sandwiches for more cheesy flavor
• Serve it as a dipping sauce for Chicken Wings or Loaded Nachos
• Make a pitcher of Iceberg Margaritas for a beer lovers feast!

Print