Beer cheese is a spicy cheese dip served as an appetizer with crackers, carrots and celery.  Don’t let the imitations fool you!  In Kentucky this cheese spread is served cold and is spicy!

I’m from a very small town in Kentucky and, other than our beautiful horse farms, we are known for an appetizer called Beer Cheese.  To y’all non-Kentuckians beer cheese is a spicy, cold cheese spread served in almost every local restaurant.  It’s usually served with carrots, celery, and club crackers.  My home town even has an annual Beer Cheese Festival to celebrate their claim to fame.  What’s better than sampling beer cheese and drinking a couple icy cold beers?!?

Now that I’ve moved away from my home state I can never find this authentic appetizer.  I’ve made the mistake of ordering it a few times from different Florida restaurants and was completely disappointed.  These ‘imitation’ versions were served hot, almost like nacho cheese dip.  Definitely not the same!  So I had to get the recipe from my dad so I could make this a few times a year.  It’s the perfect appetizer to take to a party, or to have in the house during football season.  I love it because you can make it ahead of time and it actually gets a little spicier after a day in the fridge.  Of course if you can’t do a lot of heat you can adjust the cayenne to your liking.

How to make kentucky beer cheese

I always use a light beer like Bud Light or Miller Light.  Pretty much anything will work but I wouldn’t recommend any dark beers.  Also, you must use ‘flat’ beer.  Definitely make sure that you let the beer sit out over night, after you have poured it back and forth between two glasses to release the carbonation.  Otherwise you will have a foaming mess on your counter when you turn on the food processer!  My brother found this out the hard way when he didn’t follow the instructions and impatiently decided to make it with a fresh beer!

Print Recipe

Beer Cheese

Great appetizer for football season!

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beer cheese, cheese dip, game day apps, cheese appetizer, Kentucky beer cheese, cheese spread

Servings: 10

Author: Bobbie Blue

Equipment

• food processor

Ingredients

• 1 12 ounce light beer, flat*
• 1 pound velvetta, cubed
• 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

• In a food processer place half of Velveeta and cheddar cheese and sprinkle spices on top. Pulse a few times.
• Then add the rest of the cheese and while food processer is on slowly add beer through the 'chute' opening and continue to mix until cheese is smooth and spices are well incorporated.
• Serve chilled with crackers, carrots and celery!

Notes

*Beer must be flat or will bubble up out of your food processer!  Pour into a glass and allow to sit out over night.  

*I recommend using a food processer because in my experience a simple blender will not give the smooth texture of authentic beer cheese.

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