Mmmm….Beer. Cheese. Beer…Cheese. BEER CHEESE!

The Super Bowl loometh.

Let’s get this out of the way: I hate murder and ugly stadiums, so I am clearly not rooting for the Ravens.  And nobody has given me a good reason NOT to root for the 49’ers (“they’ve won a few” does not, in my experience, qualify them for my evil eye) and I happen to adore San Francisco, so that’s the way I’m going.  And, let’s be honest, I have a lingering childhood Joe Montana crush, and that’s as good a reason for a Super Bowl pick as most I‘ve heard.

Anyway, the Super Bowl is, when it comes down to it, the #1 reason in this country for a) drinking beer, b) watching commercials, and c) dipping things in other things.

Tomorrow, I will be dipping lots of things in other things.  It’s going to be an all-dip dinner.

And tonight, I made my first dip: Beer Cheese.

Beer Cheese is a beautiful thing, that I did not properly appreciate until I moved back to the States.  It seems to be specific to the Midwest and South.  And it is brilliant.

But…I must caution you: DO NOT.  GET FANCY.  WITH THE BEER CHEESE.

Believe me, I have tried.  I am a big fan of fancying up simple foods – I have tried many different variations on mac and cheese, and all have been brilliant.  I DO believe a great hamburger is better with cheese and bacon, and I think a grilled cheese sandwich made with fancy cheeses is infinitely superior.  But I have made beer cheese with smoked stout, and used fancy pickled chiles, and the one I made tonight was, quite possibly, beer cheese perfection.

We won’t truly know until tomorrow, since beer cheese is best made ahead and chilled while the flavors mellow.  But here’s the idea (I made a half-batch, since it’s just me around here):

20 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cloves of garlic, grated
7 oz of flat beer (Bell’s Christmas Ale in this case)
Tabasco, optional (this is the one place I got Fancy – I used Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet hot sauce, and this is the reason I felt compelled to write this post – holy CRAP do I not use that stuff enough.)
Mustard powder, optional (I do not consider this optional.  It adds a nice tang, and I personally believe the emusification power of mustard is important to the final consistency of the spread.)

Put it all in a food processor, and process the hell out of it.  You are, after all, making a processed cheese spread.  It’s just GOOD processed cheese.
When it’s thick and creamy, put it in the fridge and let it mellow.
Dip veggies…chips…pretzels…your significant other… in it, and enjoy.  I seriously think the simplicity and one great ingredient has made this the best batch of beer cheese I have made.

And really, isn’t that what makes home cooking great?  Keep it simple, use at least one great ingredient.

Oh, and GO 9’ERS!