My husband is German. If you look at him there is no denying the fact that he is without question German. Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin. He glows at night.
Okay that’s exaggerating.
And our last name totally gives away the fact that he is of German roots as well.
I grew up in Central PA which is full of Pennsylvania Dutch food, which is basically a lot of German-esque food. So we’re quite a pair. If it has vinegar on it – we love it. If it has potatoes in it – give me more. If it has potatoes AND vinegar in it? We’ve died and gone to heaven.
It’s no surprise then that his favorite beer would be a Hefeweizen. Today I attempted to incorporate that beer into a cheese dip to go with our soft pretzels. It’s game day, afterall. And I’m not sure what happens in your house on game day, but my husband is an avid Fantasty Football-er and we have NFL Sunday Ticket. Hello, many hours of football. (We even watch the stupid games like Oakland vs Dolphins. Seriously?!…)
So I made soft pretzels and then threw this cheese dip together.
Before you get all freaked out thinking you’ll have to make a bechamel sauce – chill out. It’s not like that. I like that little “tang” in most cheese dips, and the usual way to get this is to dump loads of mustard powder in it. Gross. Plus, have you ever noticed that when you use bechamel sauce it eventually starts to separate ever so slightly? Therefore I whipped out a block of good ole, never let you down, Cream Cheese. (*Angels singing in the background….*)
Here’s what you need:
1 block cream cheese, cubed
1/2 bottle of beer of choice (IPA or Hefeweizen recommended – no “light” beer. Jesus is watching … He knows when you use light beer.)
1 1/2 tablespoons onion, minced (about 1″ slice of onion)
salt, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
pinch dry mustard
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Start out by sauteing your minced onion in just a tiny bit of butter. Let these sweat down for a few minutes. But you don’t want to brown them. After they’re translucent pour in 1/2 of the bottle of beer. If you’re not pregnant and of age you can drink it. If you are pregnant give it to your husband. I allow this to cook down for a few minutes to get a good majority of the alcohol out. The flavor will stay behind, not to worry. If you prefer it to be a touch alcohol-y (is that a word?) then don’t let it cook down too long.
After your beer has cooked down a good bit or at least gotten a little bubbly, dump in your cream cheese cubes and whisk continuously until the cream cheese is melted together with the beer. If you find that it is too thick, add a few more drops of beer. Once the cream cheese is cooked down nicely, add your cheese one handful at a time and continue to whisk until smooth and creamy. And if you’re as skilled at time as I am … you’ll be pulling your pretzels out of the oven about the time your cheese is done. (*Angels singing again … *) After all the cheese is incorporated and it is velvety smooth, add your seasoning. I went heavy handed with the garlic as I love it … but always, always taste after each addition of a new seasoning. You don’t want to oversalt or overseason. Ya heard me?
Serve alongside a delicious, buttery soft pretzel. And if you’re my husband … more beer. Need a buttery pretzel recipe? Check out Sami’s Soft Pretzels!
Enjoy!
Happy Monday,
Kelsea
Beer Cheese Dip:
1 block cream cheese, cubed
1/2 bottle of beer of choice (IPA or Hefeweizen recommended – no “light” beer.)
1 1/2 tablespoons onion, minced (about 1″ slice of onion)
salt, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
pinch dry mustard
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1) Saute onions in a smidge of butter until translucent. Add beer and cook down for a few minutes.
2) Add cubed cream cheese to beer/onion mixture and continually whisk until combined.
3) Add cheddar cheese one handful at a time, mixing after each addition. Once fully combined and smooth, add seasonings to taste.