Beer cheese dip with pretzel bites
A smooth, sharp cheddar and lager cheese sauce made on the stove, with a kick of mustard and cayenne, served warm with oven-warmed soft pretzel bites.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 13 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serve
- 600 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Heat the oven to 400°F (or whatever the pretzel package says). While it heats, shred the cheddar.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until it smells toasty but is still pale.
Slowly whisk in the beer, then the milk, until smooth. Simmer gently, whisking, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
As soon as the oven is hot, spread the pretzel bites on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the salt and bake until hot and lightly crisp outside (follow the package time).
Meanwhile, turn the sauce to low and whisk in the cheese a handful at a time, letting each melt before adding the next. Whisk in the mustard, garlic powder and cayenne and season with salt.
Pour the warm dip into a bowl, dust with a pinch more cayenne and serve with the hot pretzel bites.
Tips
- No time for the oven? Microwave the pretzel bites according to the package, usually 30 to 60 seconds. They won't crisp but they'll be soft and warm.
- Shred the cheese yourself and keep the heat low once it goes in. Pre-shredded cheese and boiling both make the sauce grainy.
- Some beers are clarified with fish-derived isinglass and some cheddar uses animal rennet; check labels if you're cooking for strict vegetarians. Pretzels and flour mean this isn't gluten-free.
