Let me tell you about the newest obsession we have in our house. Yep, it’s this Beer Cheese Spread! There have been very few days in the past couple of months that there isn’t a container of this gem waiting in the refrigerator. Waiting to be spread on crisp homemade crackers, scooped up with mini pretzel twists, or fresh broccoli florets!
Rich cream cheese is blended with aged cheddar cheese, pale ale beer, and a bunch of other tasty additions to make this Beer Cheese Spread one of the best things I have slathered on a cracker in a looooong time! The recipe is the perfect size for a small gathering! Jeff and I have found a number of ways to enjoy this recipe outside of happy hour, too!
- We fill a fluffy omelet with spoonfuls of it and pop it under a low broiler just enough to warm the spread for the ultimate indulgent brunch meal.
- Spread it on a flour tortilla and bake for several minutes until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is bubbly and delicious. Quarter and enjoy!
- Use Beer Cheese Spread instead of shredded cheddar cheese when making potato skins!
What is Beer Cheese?
Beer cheese is commonly found in Kentucky. I’m so happy our Kentucky neighbors decided to share this yumminess with the rest of us! It’s typically made with a processed cheese base {such as Velveeta}, a generous amount of beer and garlic, and served with Saltine crackers.
I updated the traditional recipe using cream cheese, aged cheddar cheese, and butter as the creamy base for the spread. If you can, try to use aged sharp cheddar cheese. It really makes a difference in the flavor profile of the recipe. I use Tillamook Aged Cheddar. Pabst or Tillamook does not pay me for this post-; I like to tell you what I use when testing a recipe.
I’m not much of a beer-drinker. Tequila, Gin, and Bourbon are more my speed! But, Jeff enjoys a cold beer now and again during the hot summer months. We primarily buy a six-pack of beer for cooking and baking purposes. For this recipe, I use Pabst Blue Ribbon Pale Ale because it adds a nice toasted malt flavor without being bitter. Any pale ale beer will work. I just use what we have in the fridge! Be sure to pull the bottle from the fridge the night before making this recipe! If the beer is cold when it’s drizzled into the cheese mixture, it will create a clumpy consistency.
I hope you enjoy this quick and super easy recipe as much as we do! If you love it, Pin it to your Pinterest board or forward it to a friend!
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Beer Cheese Spread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Beer Cheese Spread! A savory, creamy no-cook appetizer spread made with rich cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, dijon mustard, caraway, smoked paprika, and pale ale! Perfect for pairing with pretzels and crackers. Or, slathered on grilled burgers!
Ingredients
4 ounces full-fat cream cheese {1/2 of a block}, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese {preferably aged}
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup pale ale beer, at room temperature
To Garnish:
Sliced toasted almonds
To Serve:
pretzels, chips, crackers, fresh veggies, or spread on grilled burgers!
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese, garlic, butter, cheddar cheese, salt, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, caraway seeds, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until well-combined.
- With the processor running, drizzle the beer into the mixture. Continue to process until smooth. This step will take a few minutes. The mixture will look and feel grainy if not processed long enough. The mixture will be quite runny but will firm up in the refrigerator.
- Transfer the contents of the bowl into a storage vessel and chill for several hours or overnight.
- Garnish the chilled beer cheese with crunchy toasted sliced almonds, if desired.
- Enjoy with the desired accompaniments!
Notes
- To soften the cream cheese quickly: unwrap from the foil wrapper and place in a microwave-safe dish. Use the defrost setting on the microwave and warm in 15-second increments until softened.
- Use a pale ale for this recipe {such as Pabst}. It has a toasty maltiness that doesn’t overwhelm the flavor profile of this Beer Cheese Spread.
- Beer Cheese Spread will keep for one week in the refrigerator.
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: beer cheese, no cook appetizer, cheese spread, party food, beer
