(Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Beer Cheese Dip)
There are a few ingredients that I have to restrain myself from adding to everything I make. On that list are the following: Sriracha, bacon, goat cheese and roasted garlic.
As you can clearly discern, beer is not in that line-up. Because I never try to hold back the urge to add beer.
Two of those four ingredients did manage to coerce their way into this dip, bulldozing my yearning for variety with their seductive culinary appeal. Roasted garlic is an amazing substance.
Once you start to roast your own and realize that with less than a dollar and 5 minutes of active time you can create the most addictive and flavorful ingredient with your own hands, you may come to understand why I was powerless to resist.
On a side note, I served this dip at a party and was all at once horrified and flattered to find a guy I barely know licking the bowl. I’ll take that as a good sign, and a validation for submitting to the powers of roasted garlic.
For this recipe, I used Saison du BUFF, a joint effort from Stone, Dogfish Head and Victory breweries. A Holy Trinity of Craft Beer splendor that produced a Saison Messiah to lead us into the new world of craft beer glory. It is out now, try and get your hands on a bottle, while you can.
If you can’t get your hands on the Saison du BUFF, I’ve also really loved this with an IPA.
Ingredients
- 2 large heads of garlic
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 12 oz cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cup Reggiano or Parmesan cheese, plus an additional 1/4 cup for top
- 6 oz smoked Gouda or smoked mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup Saison or IPA beer
- 1 tsp red chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbs cornstarch (very important. Keeps the dip from separating)
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Cut the top tip of each head garlic off, just enough to expose all of the cloves. Place each head on a separate piece of tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and seal the foil around the garlic.
- Place both garlic packets on a baking sheet or baking dish. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Reduce oven temp to 350.
- In a food processor, add the cream cheese, 1 1/2 cup reggianno, gouda, beer, red chili sauce, salt, pepper and corn starch. Squeeze the roasted heads of garlic until the soft cloves comes out, add the roasted cloves to the food processor, taking care that none of the papery garlic skin is added to the food processor. Discard the empty garlic head. Process until well combined.
- Add to a baking dish, top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
- Bake at 350 until melted and the top has started to turn a light golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven, stir (it will have puffed slightly) top with green onions, serve warm.
