Jennie OemigWicked Local
Once the holidays are over, it’s not unusual to have a few unopened beers leftover, whether they were purchased for house guests to enjoy with their meal or left behind by a friend or family member who stopped by to visit.
For some who aren’t beer drinkers or aren’t fond of certain styles, those beverages can sit around for weeks or even months, taking up valuable real estate in the fridge.
Instead of just pouring it down the drain, consider cooking with it. There are myriad recipes that call for beer, as well as others that can be modified to incorporate any type of ale or lager.
The most obvious way to use up those sudsy beverages is by deep-frying some beer-battered seafood — shrimp, haddock, clams, calamari, you name it. But there are so many more options.
Beer Cheese Dip (Pilsner/Lager)
When you’re looking for something in which to dip soft pretzels, beer cheese dip is one of the best pairings; it’s cheesy, it’s creamy and it’s nice and hot. The best style to use in beer cheese dip is definitely a lager or pilsner, something light-bodied with not a lot of hop bitterness – Miller Lite or Budweiser work great.
’ve made a couple different versions and some turned out really well, while others were utter failures. That’s the joy of working with melting cheese. My favorite though, consists of ¼ cup of butter; ¼ cup of flour; 1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning; a dash of cayenne pepper; 1 cup of milk; 8-10 ounces of beer; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; and 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese.
Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and seasonings and cook for about 1 minute. Then whisk in the beer and milk, a bit at a time, until smooth. Add in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce and continue cooking until thick and bubbly.
Reduce heat to low, add in cheeses and whisk until they’re melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.