Before there was Boursin, there was my grandfather’s “beer cheese”. We still make it every year at Christmas time — it’s just too good to keep around the house all year long.
This is one of the “by gosh and by golly” recipes my grandfather left behind without formalizing amounts. Taste as you go; the final product should not taste of any one ingredient, and should be a pale orange in color with speckles of red from the paprika, cayenne, and chili powder. The beer in this case wets the cheese and aids in making the final product smooth; if your beater is having a hard time with the cheese, add more beer to get it smooth.
Papo used the Cracker Barrel brand white New York cheddar, which is commonly available at most supermarkets.
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 16 oz white cheddar extra extra sharp, room temperature
- 1 tsp olive oil something non-assertive
- 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
- 1/4 cup beer pilsner, light-bodied
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Tapatio or other similar hot sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- Put everything in a stand mixer, and beat until smooth. It should be a spreadable consistency when done. Check for seasoning, and adjust to your family's taste.
- Store in small containers, and use with crackers, pretzels, or crudites. Also great on burgers, sandwiches, stuffed in Peppadew peppers or celery, and pasta!
You absolutely need your cheeses at room temp for this, otherwise the mix won't come together. Aside from the base of cheeses, all the seasonings that follow are adjustable to your tastes.
The final product should not taste like beer; I know, weird, given the name. If you're gluten intolerant, go ahead and use a nice, light GF beer like Bard's Gold or Green's Amber Ale.