The Lush Chef

Libations used: 1/3 cup Guinness 
Libations left over: 3/4 of the bottle, so polish that off while you're making the dip
In addition to my Bacon Bourbon Caramel Popcorn, I also brought this Guinness & White Cheddar Spread to a Super Bowl party over a week ago.  I had run across this recipe on The Galley Gourmet a long time ago and was waiting for the right time to make it.  Of course you have to have beer when watching football, so it seemed fitting that I finally whipped it up.  Don't be scared off by all the ingredients.  You just throw everything into a food processor and it's done.  It can also be made a few days in advance—just make sure you bring it to room temperature before serving. The original recipe recommends serving it with rye toasts, but I thought pretzels would be more fun—they're easier to dip and they go so well with beer and cheese!  There were a few of us at the party (me included) who huddled together and wouldn't let anyone move this spread away from us.  It was so freakin' addictive that I very well could have tackled someone if they took it away from me.

Guinness & White Cheddar Spread - makes 2 cups
Ingredients:

• 10 oz sharp white cheddar cheese (I used the Dubliner brand - looove that stuff), grated
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbs cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup Guinness Stout
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• Cayenne pepper, to taste (I used a couple pinches)

- In a food processor, combine the cheddar, cream cheese, butter, Guinness and mustards and purée until smooth.
- Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the onion, Worcestershire, black pepper, parsley and cayenne and pulse until nice and smooth.