Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Cheddar & Guinness Dip


The nice people at the Wisconsin Cheese Board recently asked me to do a guest post for them over on their blog. They said it could be anything, as long as it included Wisconsin cheese.
Of course, I said, no problem! I love cheese...it might be my favorite food.
The post would be published in March. So, right away, I knew I wanted to make something appropriate for St. Patrick's Day!
Growing up, St. Patrick’s Day was a big deal. My mother is of Irish descent and she always made the traditional Irish meal – corned beef, cabbage, boiled potatoes and of course, Irish soda bread. Even as an adult, I always enjoyed having dinner at my mom’s house every March 17.
However, for the past few years, I have taken the reins on hosting the festivities. I wanted to create the same childhood memories I have for my children, and each year I get a bit more adventurous with my menu. A few years back, I experimented with making homemade Guinness mustard and a horseradish cream to accompany the corned beef. Last year, I made Boxty {Irish potato pancakes}.

This year, I decided to make an appetizer that would mix some of the flavors common on St. Patrick’s Day with
a cheese and Guinness dip. What’s St. Pat’s without some Guinness, right?
This dip is packed full of flavor. It’s perfect for entertaining, because it can be made well ahead of time and in fact, tastes even better after the flavors have a chance to meld. I served the dip with rosemary flatbreads, which was absolutely fantastic! It would also be great served with crackers, assorted vegetable crudités, some cubed rustic bread, or pretzels.

Begin with 8 ounces of softened cream cheese. Add it to the bowl of a food processor, along with 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard,

2 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese {I used yellow cheese here, because I wanted the cheese bits to show up in the dip...but, you can use any cheddar you'd like},

and 2 tablespoons of half & half. Sprinkle in a pinch of kosher salt & pulse until combined.

Pour in a 1/4 cup of Guinness draft beer,

& blend until smooth. Add in 2 chopped scallions, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley,

& a dash of hot sauce; pulse a few more times. Taste for seasoning & add in a bit more salt, if desired.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl & chill for at least an hour, or overnight. Before serving, soften slightly, by letting the dip warm at room temperature. Garnish with another pinch of chopped fresh parsley.
For more dip recipes, check out my posts for Ranch Dip, Hot Artichoke Dip with Tarragon, Grilled Baba Ghanoush, or Guacamole.

Cheddar Guinness Dip

Makes about 2 cups

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons half & half
sprinkle of kosher salt
1/4 cup Guinness draft beer
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley {plus, more for garnish}
dash of hot sauce {sriracha, or tabasco}, or to taste

Combine the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, mustard and half & half in the bowl of a food processor. Sprinkle in a pinch of kosher salt & pulse until combined. Pour in the beer & blend until smooth. Add in the scallions, parsley & hot sauce; pulse a few more times. Taste for seasoning & add in a bit more salt, if desired.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl & chill for at least an hour, or overnight. Before serving, soften slightly, by letting the dip warm at room temperature. Garnish with another pinch of chopped fresh parsley. Serve with
crudités, and/or crackers. I recommend some rosemary flatbreads, or Wheat Thins.
Click here for the printable recipe.

31 comments:

Rebecca said...

ooooh perfect for the upcoming holiday!! great pics

Egle said...

This recipe, using Guiness, sounds just great! I think even better than the famous Guiness Chocolate cake. At least for me.

The Food Hound said...

Dip looks amazing! I'm not a beer fan, but I like it in things, and this is one of those things!

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy! I will be making this for st.pattys day!

Joanne said...

I love the idea of recreating a childhood memory of yours for your kids...and I also love the idea of mass amounts of cheesy dip! Sounds delicious.

J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) said...

Holy double-dipping! That looks amazing!!

Medifast Coupon Code 2011 said...

We like a real old cheese, and think this recipe will accommodate nicely. Can't wait to try, sure doesn't sound hard to make. The getting it to the fridge before indulging I think is going to be the hard part.

Kathryn said...

I'm totally with you on the cheese thing- it's definitely the best food EVER! Your dip looks amazing- I'm trying to picture how it would taste, but I can't- guess I'll just have to make it :)

suzybananas said...

Looks delish!!!! Can't wait to try it :)

Anonymous said...

This is man food disguised as something much more classy. Love it!

Elizabeth said...

This looks amazing! I *really* love dip.

DessertForTwo said...

BEST (and most original) St.Patty's day recipe I've seen yet! :)

katie said...

Aww. Thanks!!

Sprinzette @ Ginger and Almonds said...

I can't believe I've only just found your blog - what gorgeous photos. This recipe looks lovely.

Jady said...

I enjoy your photos and your recipe... in fact I can't say which I enjoy more!! (Cheese, Beer, and Photography... all addictions of mine)
Thanks for sharing!

henni said...

Wow! This looks and sounds amazing! I'm currently living in Scotland, and I think this dip would be amazing for my next dinner party! Thanks for the post...so many of my favourite foods in this one (and I'm definitely counting Guinness as it's own food group here!)...you've just got another loyal follower!

katie said...

Henni - So glad to hear it ;) Thanks for visiting!

Karen said...

This looks great, but my food processor is broken at the moment. Any way to make it without a food processor?

katie said...

Hi Karen -

Yes, I think this would work perfectly well using a good old-fashioned wooden spoon. Though, I can't promise as I haven't tried.
It will just require a bit of elbow grease to get everything mixed up really well. The cream cheese is softened regardless, so that will make it easier. Hope it works for you! Thanks for the comment :)

Jeannette said...

Great St. Patrick's Day Idea

Anonymous said...

This looks fantastic! Will certainly be on the St. Pat's Day menu. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

What can I use instead of beer?

Tara said...

I made this for my husband for our anniversary and he loved it! I don't like beer and I enjoyed it too.

Catherine Holt said...

Ohh...love this idea. You are right, Guinness and St Patrick's go hand in hand together, so this dip is the ideal appetizer to serve at a St Patties party. Looks delicious, so I'm definitely going to be trying it out :-)

QNAUTHOR said...

We had this dip at an Irish Pub in Oxford, CT. They served it with soft pretzel sticks, warm from the oven. It was fantastic!!!! They serve it as a starter, but it was so delicious I wanted to cancel my entree and have another serving of this!

katie said...

qnauthor - what's the name of the pub? I live in CT so maybe I can check it out if I'm ever in Oxford!

Unknown said...

Do you know if it freezes well?

katie said...

UK - I've never tried freezing this dip, or anything similar, before. Therefore, I can't tell you this with full confidence, but I would suspect freezing would alter the creaminess of the dip. Cream cheese, which is the base of this recipe, tends to get crumbly after being frozen/thawed, so I'd
probably avoid freezing...if possible. It can definitely be refrigerated though - even longer, if the ingredients are stored separately.

Anonymous said...

Excellent dip. I made it spicy and there were no leftovers after the party. Very yummy :)

katie said...

Anonymous - Glad you and your guests liked the dip :) I love the idea of making it spicy!

Anonymous said...

LOVED IT. MY CO-WORKER MADE FOR ST. PADDY DAY POTLUCK. HIT OF THE EVENT. I HAVE BOOKMARKED TO KEEP ON FILE. THANKS. TERRY P. KEENE, NH

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