Guinness and Cheddar Dip
It’s that time of year again… St. Patrick’s Day is rolling around pretty soon. I regret to tell you that over the years our celebrations have become more and more tame. Which, truly, is ok by me. As a person of Irish heritage, I would love to just celebrate with an authentic Irish meal full of yummy foods. Problem being… aside from corned beef and cabbage (which isn’t really even Irish) there’s really not much to Irish cuisine. I don’t say this to be disparaging… I’ve eaten some incredible Irish food, including my mother-in-law’s soda bread and the unforgettable fish and chips at McDonagh’s in Galway. But even after spending quite a bit of time in Ireland, I wasn’t overly impressed in the way of food on a regular basis. I was, however, impressed by the Guinness.
I’m not even trying to be funny. The Guinness. It’s so good. It more than made up for the lack of culinary inventiveness. Dinner sucked? It’s ok, have a pint. And all is well. See how easy that is? And now that I think of it, some of the “Irish” foods I’ve had and really enjoyed have had this chocolatey, rich stout in it. Chocolate Guinness cake, Guinness Beef Stew, and now… this dip.
For many years, I made a beer cheese dip similar to this one, but I had to stop making it because my husband would devour it in ungodly amounts and I was worried about his arteries. (No kidding.) But every time I made it, I swear, I thought, “This would be even better with Guinness.” So when I saw this recipe, BINGO. Now, of course, I’ll have to worry about his arteries all over again, because if there’s anything my hubs love more than beer cheese dip and pretzels, it’s Guinness.
So, ok, this isn’t authentic Irish cuisine. (I suppose I should have posted something on here like a mutton stew or colcannon or something.) But it’s really good. It’s perfect for bringing to a St. Patrick’s Day gathering; I promise it will get gobbled up. Slainte!
Guinness and Cheddar Dip
The original recipe called for putting everything a food processor to combine it. I like my dip with a little more texture, so I didn't do that, but if you'd like it smoother, just give it a whir in the blender or food processor, and you're good to go.
Ingredients
- 1( 8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups shredded Irish cheddar cheese (or any sharp cheddar)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons half & half or milk
- sprinkle of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup Guinness draft beer
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (and additional for garnish)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. For a minute, you'll be all, "Ew, this looks gross and it's not going to mix together!" Calm down. Keep stirring. It will. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to a few days. When you're ready to serve it, take it out of the fridge to let it soften a bit before serving, and garnish with a bit more chopped parsley or green onion.
- Serve with kettle-cooked potato chips (regular chips will crumble) or pretzel twists.