The next time you need a crowd-pleasing appetizer, look no further than this Irish Pub Cheese. Serve it with pretzels, crackers or veggies for dipping!
When it comes to throwing a party, I’m all about the dips. Cool Spinach, Hot Crab, Pimento Cheese…. gimme them all, please. There’s just something extra satisfying about taking your favorite crunchy snack and smothering it with some creamy deliciousness. St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, so I thought we’d celebrate with an Irish favorite!
Pub cheese is a soft, spreadable dip that’s primarily made with cheddar, spices and beer.
It can be enjoyed as an appetizer, slathered onto burgers, sandwiches or even melted over French fries. Talk about an all-purpose recipe! I prefer to use a lighter, Irish-style beer (like Harp Lager) for this dip. It’s crisp, refreshing and adds a little zip. For the ultimate experience, go ahead and pour some at your home bar for your guests to enjoy!
Side note: Harp Lager comes from the land of leprechauns, so we’re staying on theme here. 🙂
I recently saw my friends over at Red Clay Hot Sauce while visiting The Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.
I had actually chatted with a member of their team previously while at the show in New York, so we immediately hit it off. Handcrafted in a tiny South Carolina town, Red Clay Hot Sauce focuses on using local ingredients and partnering with farmers from neighboring states. Chef Geoff Rhyne has invented four different flavors: Original, Verde, Carolina and Habanero. I chose to use Verde in today’s post because of its medium heat and versatility… but (to be honest) any of the flavors would work well here. It’s all about your preferred heat preference.
Can you make this pub cheese in advance?
Absolutely! I actually think it tastes better when you let it hang out in the refrigerator for a bit (up to overnight!). It allows the flavors to come together and mingle with one another. If you’re going to make it ahead of time, just make sure to allow the dip to come back to room temperature before serving. Otherwise it won’t spread easily.
- 8 ounces Sharp White Cheddar, grated
- 8 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese
- 2 tbsp. Red Clay Verde Hot Sauce, or more to taste
- ½ cup Irish Beer (Harp Lager)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp. Ground Mustard
- Chopped Chives. for garnish
- 1 tbsp. Smoked Paprika, for garnish
- Sourdough Crunchy Pretzels, Breadsticks, Crackers, Carrot Sticks, Zucchini Slices, Radish Slices, Salami or other Charcuterie
- Grate cheese and then place in the food processor along with the cream cheese, Red Clay Verde Hot Sauce, Irish beer, garlic, and ground mustard. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may have to do this in two batches.
- Puree until smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides, if necessary. Sprinkle with paprika, chopped chives and serve immediately with desired items from the serving suggestions.
- Any leftover pub cheese can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Red Clay Hot Sauce. Per the usual, all opinions here are mine alone and I would never recommend an ingredient that I did not immensely enjoy myself. Thank you for supporting the brands that support SliceOfJess.com! Use the code IRISH20 to receive 20% off your Verde Hot Sauce Purchase!
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Pickle Juice Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Fully Loaded Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Lemon Aioli
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
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Oh,I love a good dip. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for checking it out! Hope you can try this soon.
YUMMY!! Sounds delicious!! 😋 Is it spicy?
It’s super tasty, for sure. I can’t wait for you to try it! This version with the Red Clay Verde is not spicy, however, if you use a different hot sauce the heat factor may vary. Enjoy!