CHEESE DIPS
It’s a societal responsibility to, at one point or another, provide some kind of dip for a group of hungry party goers - and we’ve all known the anguish of seeing our painstakingly-prepared party provisions go virtually untouched, while Jeff from down the street practically has his bowl licked clean. Well, now it’s your turn - let’s get down to Basics.
Special Equipment List
Food processor
Oven safe skillets, pans, or serving vessels
Shopping List
Pimento Cheese Ball
4 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sharp yellow cheddar
4 ounce jar of diced pimento peppers
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
6-8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Chives, finely chopped (for garnish)
Toast or crackers (for serving)
Beer Cheese Dip
2 lbs sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 can Mexican beer (like Modelo)
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 jalapeno, sliced
Tortilla chips (for serving)
Queso Fundido
8 ounces jack cheese, grated
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Tortilla chips (for serving)
Spinach Artichoke Dip
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces low moisture mozzarella, grated
2 ounces romano cheese, grated
2 ounces parmesan, grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups frozen spinach
3 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Toast or crackers (for serving)
Method
Pimento Cheese Ball
Into the bowl of a food processor, add: 4 ounces cream cheese, 8 ounces sharp yellow cheddar, 4 ounces diced pimento peppers, and a dash each of hot sauce and worcestershire sauce. Process and scrape down the sides until you have a nice smooth cheese.
Wrap the cheese and plastic wrap and mold into a ball. Once it’s the shape you want, place in a bowl and place everything in the fridge for at least one hour.
Roughly chop 6-8 pieces of cooked bacon. Remove cheese ball from the fridge and the plastic wrap and roll in the chopped bacon.
Garnish with some finely chopped chives and serve with crackers of your choice.
Beer Cheese Dip
Start by chopping 2 pounds of sharp cheddar cheese into ½ inch cubes. Place the cheese cubes into a bowl and add 1 Tbsp of cornstarch. Toss to combine.
Bring 1 Mexican beer to a boil in cast iron pan and then slowly add your cheese cubes. Do it in about 4 batches, adding some cheese and then mixing until it’s smooth and combined before adding more cheese.
Once you’ve added all the cheese, add ¼ cup chopped red pepper, a pinch of salt and some cayenne pepper. Mix to combine.
Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on top before topping with ¼ cup chopped red onion and 1 sliced jalapeno.
Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Queso Fundido
Shred 8 ounces each of monterrey jack and sharp cheddar cheese. Place it all in a broiler safe serving dish.
Place in the oven at 425°F for about 12 minutes until it becomes bubbly, brown, and melted.
Serve and enjoy!
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Into a large bowl add 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 8 ounces of shredded low moisture of mozzarella, 2 ounces of shredded romano, and 2 ounces of parmesan.
Preheat a nonstick pan with 1 Tbsp of olive oil before adding 2 cups of frozen spinach over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Next grate in 3 cloves of garlic and add ½ a cup of artichoke hearts. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Once cooked add the veggies to a large bowl with shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper and then mix to combine.
Place mixture into an oven safe serving vessel. Top with a generous grating of parmesan cheese before placing into a 375°F oven for about 20-25 minutes. Remove once golden brown.
Serve and enjoy!