Kick Off Football Season With Kentucky Beer Cheese

A great appetizer for football season or Derby Day! This has always been one of my favorite spreads, together with the Pimento Cheese spread posted in Lindaraxa's Garden. There are as many variations of this spread as there are of chili, some with cream cheese, others with mayo, take your pick! But this one is my adapted recipe from a couple of good sources and the one I serve most often. Make it as hot as you dare. I like mine just hot enough to have a bite.


Makes about 2 1/2 Cups


Ingredients

1/2 lbs Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TB minced fresh chives
2 Tb minced onion
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 TB Worcestershire Sauce
pinch of cayenne
Tabasco Sauce to taste
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C lager beer


Procedure

Shred Cheddar finely in a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese and mash with a fork until well blended. Add the garlic, chives, onion, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco, cayenne and salt and beat in an electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add the beer until spread is smooth (to transform into a dip, add about 1/4 C more beer).

Scrape into a crock, cover tightly and chill overnight.

Serve with toast points, crackers or rye rounds. (as a dip, serve with raw vegetable sticks)