My Beer Cheese Dip is the ultimate New England comfort food that's a must for family game nights and weekend get-togethers. It's a from-scratch cheesy, melty dip ready in less than 30 minutes, made with cheddar, Jack cheese, and green chilies.
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Welsh Rarebit is made with Cheddar, ale, mustard, sometimes egg, and it is served over toast. (Does anyone else call it Welsh Rabbit? Silly, but fun!) Queso is smoother and lighter tasting, usually with a spicy kick and great for digging into with tortilla chips.
Why am I telling you this? Because I decided to bring elements of each one together to make this delicious Beer Cheese Dip! It's full of flavor, melty, and spicy.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A savory dip that blends sharp cheddar and light beer with chilies for a little heat. It's a snack made in the New England tradition of welcoming folks to the house with hot and hearty eats.
- You'll love this part: It's a melty, cheesey, and smooth dip; a perfect comfort food! It comes together in less than 30 minutes. Set this dip out with tortilla chips, crackers, and veggies when friends come over to watch the Bruins game, or to get the family together for board games.
- How it's made: Whisk up butter and flour to make a simple roux, then add milk and cheese. Pour in some beer, stir in spices and chilies, then serve.
Jump to:
The best of two delectable cheese dips!
There are all kinds of incredible cheesey dips out there, but let's take a closer look at two in particular.
Welsh rarebit is a beloved English creation, a cheese dip or spread made with cheddar cheese, ale, mustard, and sometimes egg. It's traditionally served over toast.
(Does anyone else call it Welsh Rabbit? 🐰 Silly, I know, but I do.)
Queso is another kind of cheese dip, one that hails from Mexican cuisine. It's made with mild, smooth-melting cheeses like Monterey Jack, and has a lighter flavor than Welsh rabbit— I mean, rarebit. There's also often a spicy kick in queso dips, which makes it perfect for digging into with tortilla chips.
Why am I sharing all these cheesey recipe tidbits with you? Well, it's because I decided to bring elements of Welsh rarebit and queso together to make this delicious Beer Cheese Dip. It's made with cheddar cheese and beer, like Welsh rarebit, but it's also has Monterey Jack cheese blended in to make a smooth dip with a lightened flavor. Cayenne pepper and green chilies give the dip a little heat, like you find in queso.
My beer cheese dip is just as delicious over toast as it is on crispy corn tortilla chips!
Why you'll love this Beer Cheese Dip
When you want a snack or appetizer that's going to please everyone who's hanging out that day, you can hardly go wrong with a warm and melty Beer Cheese Dip!
The cheese dip recipe is made with a light-bodied beer such as Pilsner or lager. It's blended with cheddar and Jack cheeses to make a smooth and savory melted cheese concoction. Canned green chiles bring a hint of heat as well as Southwest flavor. And a little cayenne pepper blended with other seasonings gives the dip an extra kick of spicy.
Take it from me: once you taste it, you won't be able to stop yourself from taking more.
You can enjoy Beer Cheese Dip in the Welsh rarebit fashion by serving it on toast points. (Slices of bread with crusts removed, toasted until very crisp, and cut into triangles.)
Or do like my family and I do: serve the beer dip with plenty of good and salty tortilla chips. Other tasty dippers you can try include pita chips, crackers, or fresh veggie sticks.
Make Beer Cheese Dip for your next Super Bowl party or when friends are over to watch the Bruins game. Or, make some for your next board game night with the family. A warming pot or mini Crock Pot are ideal to bring this dip to work to share at the next office potluck!
I ♥ Cheese!
Curry Cheddar Cheese Spread
You won't believe how much flavor this cheese spread packs, or how easy it is to make!
🔪 How to make Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
- Beer: I use a pilsner or lager varieties of beer for this cheese dip. Avoid IPAs as they add too much bitterness to the dip. For an alcohol-free version, substitute a nonalcoholic beer.
- Cheese: A blend of cheddar and Jack cheeses gives the dip a savory flavor and smooth, melty texture.
- Butter: It's used to make the roux base of this dip. You can use salted or unsalted.
- Flour: A little all-purpose flour is also part of the roux. My go-to brand for every recipe is King Arthur Baking.
- Milk: Can't have a cheese sauce with milk! It's whisked with the roux so that the cheese sauce will thicken nicely.
- Green chiles: Look for the little cans of diced green chiles in the international aisle. They bring a delectable Southwest flavor to the recipe.
- Spices: You'll need some salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Worcestershire Sauce: A dash of this sauce adds a savory flavor that's just made to be paired with cheese.
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Make a roux
Melt butter in a large saucepan, then whisk in some flour. Cook this roux for a short time, then whisk in some milk and then the beer.
Add the cheeses and seasonings
Stir the cheese into the beer-butter mixture, and stir until the cheeses are melted and everything looks smooth. Stir in diced chiles and the seasonings.
Serve!
Pour the beer and cheese dip into a serving dish, and scatter diced scallions over the top, with an extra dash of cayenne if you want. Serve it with tortilla chips, crackers, toast points, or fresh veggies.
Use more beer here!
Spicy Vegetarian Chili
A meat-free chili with hearty bulgur wheat, vegetables, and a splash of beer.
Beer Cheese Dip FAQs
Yes, because Beer Cheese Dip is made with beer, it does have alcohol in it, even after it's finished cooking on the stove top. For an alcohol-free version, just use a nonalcoholic beer to make the dip instead.
Do like my family and I do: this cheese dip with beer served with plenty of good and salty tortilla chips. Other tasty dippers you can try include pita chips, party crackers, pretzels, or fresh veggie sticks.
Or, enjoy the cheese dip in the Welsh rarebit fashion by serving it on toast points: slices of bread with crusts removed, toasted until very crisp, and cut into triangles.
This beer cheese dip is best served warm, so you can dip into it with chips or crackers in one hand and your drink in the other. If you have a small warming pot or mini Crock Pot, use it to keep this dip melted. Or, periodically re-warm the cheese dip in the microwave or on the stove top.
(My beer cheese dip is different from the pub cheese known as "beer cheese": a refrigerated spread that's served cold and has a firmer, spreadable texture.)
For the best flavor and quality, plan to store leftover Beer Cheese Dip in the fridge for up to four days.
Tips:
- I like light pilsners and lagers for this beer cheese dip. Avoid IPAs because they bring too much bitterness to the cheese dip.
- You can kick up the spiciness of the dip by stirring in chopped jalapeños. You can also use pepper Jack cheese instead of regular Monterey Jack, or habanero cheddar instead of sharp cheddar.
We love this Beer Cheese Dip with lots of tortilla chips and a couple of cold beers, especially Puerto Rico's Medalla Light when we can get our hands on it!
The recipe for the Beer Cheese Dip is below, and here are more appetizer ideas, too:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Beer Cheese Dip
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 12 ounces light lager or pilsner beer
- 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- 4 ounces Jack cheese, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- garnish: diced scallions, dash of cayenne pepper
Instructions
Make the roux:
- In a large saucepan, melt the ¼ cup butter over medium heat. When it just begins to bubble, add in the ¼ cup all-purpose flour to make a roux. Stir to combine the ingredients and cook the roux over medium heat for about 1 minute.
Finish the sauce:
- Whisk in the 2 tablespoons milk. Pour in the 12 ounces light lager or pilsner beer, and stir to combine the ingredients.
- Stir the mixture over medium heat until it just begins to simmer and has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add in the 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes and 4 ounces Jack cheese, cut into small cubes. Stir until the cheeses have melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add the other ingredients:
- Add in the 2 tablespoons diced green chiles, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and whisk them in completely.
Serve:
- Pour the cheese dip into a serving dish.
- Top the dip with an optional garnish: diced scallions, dash of cayenne pepper Serve the cheese dip while warm, with tortilla chips, pita chips or toast points.
Notes
- I like light pilsners and lagers for this beer cheese dip. Avoid IPAs because they bring too much bitterness to the cheese dip.
- You can kick up the spiciness of the dip by stirring in chopped jalapeños. You can also use pepper Jack cheese instead of regular Monterey Jack, or habanero cheddar instead of sharp cheddar.
Nutrition
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