Be the hero of the party with this tasty Cheese Spread with Cheddar and Beer! Only about 10 minutes separate you from an appetizer packed with flavor from sharp cheddar, Worcestershire, garlic, and beer. This pub cheese can be enjoyed as a whipped dip or chilled for a more traditional spreadable texture. Either way, it's delicious paired with pretzels, chips, crackers, veggies, or baguette slices.
This cheese spread is going to be a year-round favorite, perfect for everything from the big game or tailgating to summer barbecues and pool parties. There are only 5 ingredients needed and a food processor will make quick work of the prep. You can also change the beer and cheese combination for unlimited flavor options!
Love the flavors in this pub-inspired dip? Try this Beer Cheese Soup next!
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Ingredients
I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Sharp Cheddar - With its salty, tangy flavor, sharp cheddar is the perfect cheese for this cheese spread. The flavor will blend well with the other ingredients, standing up to garlic and Worcestershire.
- Cream Cheese - Cream cheese helps the relatively dry sharp cheddar whip up into a smooth texture. Feel free to use light cream cheese if that's what you have on hand.
- Garlic - One clove of garlic is plenty to flavor the cheese spread. Raw garlic has a strong flavor when processed! See below for a tip to if you'd like to mellow out the garlic a bit.
- Worcestershire Sauce - This savory flavor bomb of a sauce will add a lot of complexity to your cheese spread. You can use a vegetarian version to make this cheese spread suitable for all guests.
- Beer - Choose any beer you enjoy drinking here, though we think this cheese spread is best with lighter lagers, ales, or pilsners. This is a great recipe to use some of the new non-alcoholic beers that are available. You can add all of the complex nutty, malty, and hoppy flavors of these brews to your cheese spread without alcohol!
Instructions
Cut the cheddar into one inch cubes and peel and trim the garlic.
Add the cheddar, garlic, Worcestershire, and cream cheese to the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse the processor 5 times and then remove the lid to scrape down the sides.
Replace the lid and then let the processor run for about 45 seconds. Remove the lid and scrape down the sides again.
Replace the lid and turn the processor on. Stream the beer in slowly through the chute. My processor has an insert with a small hole at the bottom so that the beer can be poured in the top and slowly added.
Process until the cheese spread is smooth and whipped in texture. This will take anywhere from 1-2 minutes, depending on how cold your cheddar was to start with.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately for a soft, silky textured cheese spread. This is perfect for serving with potato chips or other delicate dippers.
Alternatively, transfer the cheese spread to a serving bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or so for a firmer texture, perfect for spreading.
Dial In the Garlic Flavor
Using a clove of raw garlic in the cheese spread delivers a potent garlic punch. If you want to mellow that flavor a bit, you can cook the clove of garlic in boiling water. Place the garlic clove in a coffee cup or other heatproof glass. Add boiling water from a kettle or the stovetop. Or, for the speediest solution, cover the garlic with water and microwave the mug for 1 minute. Whichever method you choose, allow the clove to sit in the hot water for 5 minutes or so and enjoy a smoother garlic flavor in your cheese spread.
Substitutions and Variations
The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!
- Add Spice - Build even more flavor in your cheddar cheese spread with a shot of spice. Add a spoonful of prepared horseradish, a diced jalapeño, or a teaspoon of crushed red pepper to the processor along with the other ingredients.
- Other Cheeses - Gouda, Manchego, or Gruyère cheeses all make great cheese spreads. Their aging process and resulting sharper flavor will stand up to the garlic, Worcestershire, and beer. Try the Gruyère with a Belgian beer, Manchego with a crisp lager, and aged Gouda with a hoppier ale!
- Use Roasted Garlic - To add a nutty, toasted flavor to your cheese spread, use roasted garlic in place of the raw garlic. You can add a few cloves of roasted garlic, as the cooking process mellows the garlic and adds sweetness.
Equipment
Use these kitchen tools to help prepare your cheese spread in a snap!
- Food Processor - A food processor is essential for getting the smooth, whipped texture in your cheese spread. My Cuisinart is a powerful kitchen tool that I'd recommend you have in any well-stocked kitchen. It's great for dips, doughs, and dessert fillings!
- Chef's Knife - An 8- or 10-inch chef's knife is an essential tool in any kitchen. I use it for chopping, of course, but also for crushing garlic cloves on the broad side of the blade, preparing fruit, finely chopping herbs, and more. Hard, sharp cheeses are tough to cut with a flimsy knife, so pull out your Chef's knife to dice them safely.
Serving Suggestions
If you can stop yourself from just eating this cheese spread with a spoon, there are lots of ways to serve it. If you serve it right after processing, swipe potato chips, pretzels, or breadsticks through the light and fluffy whipped cheese. Once chilled, the spread is thick enough to top crackers, cut veggies (think carrots, celery, or radishes), pretzel bread, or slices of baguette.
Don't stop there! Add cheese spread to grilled chicken sandwiches, burgers, or a grilled cheese with roasted vegetables.
Make This Recipe Kid Friendly
Choose a non-alcoholic beer and this cheese spread is surprisingly popular with the kids. They enjoy the whipped texture and gobble it up with pretzel chips or potato chips.
Storage
Store any leftover cheese spread in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. You can store it for up to 3 days, but it never lasts that long!
Make-Ahead Options
Cheese Spread with Cheddar and Beer makes a great party treat and is a great make-ahead option. You can have it prepared a couple of days in advance and free yourself for some of those last-minutes tasks with zero stress! It can be served cold, but the flavor is more pronounced if you pull it from the fridge about an hour ahead of serving.
FAQ
This cheese spread is best with blonde ales, pilsners, or lagers. Ultimately, choose a beer you like the flavor of but avoid fruity beers or anything with too sweet a profile. The combination of those fruit notes with garlic and Worcestershire just doesn't work. Similarly, a nutty porter or coffee-forward stout isn't a good match for this cheese spread.
Cheese spread is an umbrella term that encompasses pub cheese as well as other spreadable cheeses. Pub cheese is sharper and often has added ingredients like garlic, mustard, or horseradish and some variety of alcohol like beer or wine. Other cheese spreads can include smoked cheeses, bacon, herbs, dried fruits, or vegetables. This recipe is a cheese spread that is most like pub cheese or beer cheese.
I use pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese whenever possible. It makes it so much easier to get meals on the table! This recipe, however, will have the best texture when you use cheese that is freshly cubed from the block. Pre-shredded cheese is lightly coated with an anti-caking agent that keeps the shreds separate in the bag. The added starches will create a grainy texture in your cheese spread.
More Cheddar Recipes
Sharp cheddar delivers a big flavor that is versatile enough for all sorts of recipes from breakfast to dinner. Try any of the recipes below to add some new cheddar recipes to your rotation:
Recipes for Your Next Party
Cheese Spread is a favorite at all sorts of gatherings. Add any of the recipes below to serve at a happy hour, on summer afternoons, or as a pre-dinner snack:
Try It and Share
I hope you try this Cheese Spread with Cheddar and Beer and enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.
Recipe
Cheese Spread with Cheddar and Beer
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 onces beer (NA beer, pilsner, lager, ale, etc.)
Instructions
- Cube the cheddar into 1-inch pieces. Peel and trip the garlic clove.
- Add the cheddar, cream cheese, garlic, and Worcestershire to the bowl of the food processor.
- Pulse about 5 times and then open the processor to scrape down the sides. Process again for about 30-45 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl once more. Replace the lid and start the processor. Stream the beer into the processor slowly and continue to mix until the beer cheese is smooth. This will take 1-2 minutes, depending on how cold your cheese was at the start.
- Transfer the beer cheese to a serving bowl. Serve immediately for a dippable texture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or more for a thick and spreadable texture.
- Serve with pretzels, chips, soft pretzels, crackers, or vegetable crudité.
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts calculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie Waltman says
We love to share this spread with friends at happy hour!