One of my biggest weaknesses at brewpubs is beer cheese. Beer cheese with pretzels, beer cheer on fries, beer cheese on a burger…really anything you can throw beer cheese on makes it a solid must have in my book.
Beer cheese makes a delicious thing to make when you’re having guests over to watch a game, or to bring as a snack to a group picnic or other event. It’s easy to make, delicious, and always a crowd pleaser. Here’s how to make the magic happen:
Ingredients:
12 oz. beer (I suggest a brown or pale ale)
6 cups of shredded sharp cheddar or pepper jack (or a mix!)
1 clove of minced garlic
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Directions:
1. Put the butter and garlic in a saucepan. Melt the butter and lightly brown the garlic on a medium heat.
2. Add the flour to the mix and stir. Once smooth, add the beer a few ounces at a time, slowly incorporating it into the mix. Increase the heat and stir until you see no clumps.
3. Turn the heat down to low. Slowly add the cheese to the mix, again adding just a few ounces at a time to ensure it’s slowly incorporated. If you go too fast, you’ll end up with clumps and issues. Slow and steady wins the race with this one.
4. Add cayenne to taste. I love things spicy, so I go with a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. Depending on your spice preferences (and whether or not you went pepper jack with the cheese) you can adjust the amount you add up or down (or leave it out entirely). I recommend going slow and tasting as you go.