I am so proud of myself for cooking with beer for the first time!! It was really fun and I got to drink the leftover beer while I was cooking! I decided to start out with a dip (which isn’t really cooking or baking….more of mixing) and it turned out INCREDIBLE! Here’s my adaptation of a Hidden Valley® recipe for Beer Cheese Dip! It wasn’t too cheesy – it actually reminded me more of like a ranch dressing dip but ended up having some really unique flavoring with the beer.
It’s really fast and easy – just make sure to leave your cream cheese out for a while before you start or it will be hard to mix.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (8 oz) package of softened cream cheese
- 1/2 of a 1 oz packet Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Dips Mix
- 1/2 cup of lager beer (I chose Yuengling Lager)….I KNOW, I didn’t use a traditional Irish Beer, but the place I stopped at to pick up a six-pack had a very small selection.
- Combine your cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and half packet of Ranch Dip Mix in a bowl.
- Gradually stir in the beer a little at a time until it reaches a good consistency.
- Once mixed thoroughly, cover and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
- Give your dip another quick stir before serving.
Serve with pretzels or anything else of your choice (vegetables, chips, etc). It doesn’t hurt to sever with a beer on the side as well! Cheers!
P.S. Be sure to serve this dip the same day you make it. It does not keep well…I learned it the hard way! The next day, I went to open the dip and it smelled ridiculously strong of beer and didn’t taste the best anymore. Maybe it would be different after actually having a few beers before, but overall NOT good the next day!