Beer Cheese Dip

This beer cheese dip is ultra cheesy, made in a skillet, and features a winning trifecta of bacon, beer, and cheese for the best companion to chips and a party app everyone will go wild for. If you’re a fan of the blog, you know I’m a fan of the cheese. From the cheesiest mac and cheese to cheesy scalloped potatoes and queso dip, I can’t resist a cheesy dish. And when it comes to dips, I say the more cheese the merrier. This beer cheese dip is the ultimate football-watching food to nosh on (I made it for my husband). But it’s also a stellar appetizer for any party or shindig, because how can you go wrong with a winning trifecta of bacon, beer, and cheese?

Why You’ll Love It

• This beer cheese dip is so simple to make requires fewer than 10 ingredients
• It’s smooth and creamy, cheesy, and the perfect consistency
• Thanks to onions, bacon, and beer, it’s full of awesome savory, well-balanced flavor

The Best Chip to Dip: Kettle Brand

When Kettle Brand Potato Chips asked if I’d be interested in creating a tailgating-inspired recipe for fall, it simply wasn’t that much of a stretch to stick right with my theme and go with the cheese. Kettle Brand potato chips are perfect vehicles for this type of dip because they’re extra crispy, they’re thick, and they can stand up to the girth of a stout cheese dip like this. And they come in so many flavors that favor cheese that you don’t have to choose just one. So I chose all of them. Actually, I barely scraped the surface of their flavor barrel. I mean, how DO you choose? But if you put me in a room full of yellow jackets without a bee keeper’s suit on and twisted my arm and told me I HAD to choose which I liked best with this dip, it would be narrowed down to Sriracha, Maple Bacon (I know, right!?!?!), and Pepperoncini. I can’t get enough of those puckery little buggers. And now they flavor a chip! I’m doomed.

Beer Cheese Dip Ingredients

• Bacon—feel free to omit if you want to make this vegetarian
• Butter—for sautéing the onion
• Onion—I use a yellow onion but a sweet Vidalia also works great
• Dijon mustard—I used a mixture of grainy mustard and Dijon. If you prefer one over the other, make your choice. However, I will always use the grainy in my dip even if I have to give up the Dijon.
• Stone ground mustard—I love the flavor and texture this lends
• Cream cheese—For creaminess and the perfect smooth consistency (please use full-fat). You’ll also have less chance of the mixture breaking or separating when baking.
• Beer—Preferably an IPA or dark brown ale
• Sharp cheddar cheese—To impart the most cheesy flavor into this dip I used a sharp Wisconsin cheddar. The sharper the cheese, the more flavor you’ll get. If you prefer a milder bite, go for the medium heft.
• Hot sauce—such as Frank’s or Tabasco
• Kettle Brand Chips—for dipping

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Beer Cheese Dip

• Cook the bacon. First, cook the bacon until crispy, then crumble or chop it into pieces.
• Sauté the onions. Next, melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions until soft.
• Whisk in the mustard and beer and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, whisk in the cream cheese and shredded cheddar, followed by the crumbled bacon.
• Bake until bubbly. Pour the bacon beer cheese dip into a greased quart baking dish and top with more shredded cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake until golden around the edges and bubbling.

FAQ and Recipe Tips

• Can I make this beer cheese dip in advance? You can make this dip 3 to 4 days before the big game and refrigerate until ready to use. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before baking so the inside gets warmed while the top toasts.
• For the creamiest texture, buy a block of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in cornstarch to prevent it from clumping together, which can make for a grainy cheese dip.
• Feel free to experiment with the style of beer you use, however, I would suggest you don’t use a light-style beer for this recipe as it won’t translate the beer flavor as well. I used an IPA from my man’s beer fridge (oh yes he does) but a dark or nut brown ale would be super tasty too. Remember, the different flavors of beer will definitely impact the flavor of the dip, so choose according to your level of beer love.
• To serve hot at a tailgate, make this recipe in a slow cooker and take it directly to the game. Follow all of the directions for cooking the dip, but instead of transferring the cheese mixture to the baking dish to be baked in the oven, transfer it to a slow cooker insert and cook for 1-2 hours on high.

Storage

This beer cheese dip is best the day it’s made, but it will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Gently rewarm on your stove or on the “warm” setting on your crockpot or slow cooker.

Beer Cheese Dip Serving Ideas

In addition to Kettle Brand chips, you could serve this beer cheese dip with any of the following:

• Warm, soft pretzels
• Toasted baguette rounds
• Crudités
• Toasted pita points or pita chips
• Crackers

More Game Day Dip Recipes You’ll Love

• Chicken Nachos
• French Onion Dip
• Little Smokies (Beanie Weanies)
• Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs
• Chorizo Queso with Beer and Chiles
• The Best Clam Dip EVER
  

  4.23 from 27 votes

  Beer Cheese Dip

  This ultra cheesy, irresistibly good beer cheese dip made in a skillet adds everyone's three favorite condiments to the party: bacon, beer and potato chips.

  Print SaveSaved!

  Course Appetizer, Snack

  Cuisine American

  Keyword beer cheese dip, dip

  Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

  Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

  Total Time 45 minutes minutes

  Servings 12

  Calories 384kcal

  Ingredients 

  ½x1x2x3x

  • ½ pound bacon slices
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ yellow onion , diced
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
  • 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 1-12 ounce beer , (preferably an IPA or dark brown ale)
  • 6 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese , (about 8 ounces)
  • Generous dashes of hot sauce such as Frank's or Tabasco
  • Kettle Brand Chips for dipping

  Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Add bacon to a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté 10 minutes until just crispy then remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Cool and then chop or tear the bacon into rough pieces. Discard the bacon grease.
  • In a medium high-sided skillet or saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Whisk in the mustard and then add the beer, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Add the cream cheese then reduce the heat to medium. Whisk the cream cheese into the beer mixture until the cheese melts and becomes creamy. Turn off the heat.
  • Set aside ¼ cup of the shredded cheddar. Add the rest of the cheddar cheese about 1 cup at a time to the beer mixture, stirring until the cheese melts and is smooth. Repeat until all of the cheese has been added.
  • Stir in ¾ of the bacon, saving the rest for the top of the dip.
  • Spray a 1-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the dip into the dish and top with the remaining ¼ cup cheddar cheese and the rest of the crumbled bacon.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the dip is bubbling. Serve warm with potato chips.

  Notes

  To make this dip in a slow cooker: Follow all of the directions above but instead of transferring the cheese mixture to the baking dish, transfer it to a slow cooker insert and cook for 1-2 hours on high. Transfer to the big game tailgate in the slow cooker.

  Nutrition

  Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 574mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 856IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 428mg | Iron: 1mg
  

  More Easy, Cheesy Appetizers to Make

  • • Queso Dip
    • Hot Crab Dip
    • Pimento Cheese
    • Spinach Artichoke Dip
    • Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip
    • Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread
    • Caramelized Onion Crostini with Fig Jam and Blue Cheese

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