Appetizers Canadian

Canadian Beer Cheese Dip

A blender dip made with cheddar, smoked mozzarella, garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire, Canadian craft beer and bacon. The original cookbook described it as appropriate for hockey, curling and watching American politics. Several years later, I see no compelling reason to amend that statement.

Canadian Beer Cheese Dip

What It Is

This is a thick, cold-to-room-temperature beer cheese dip blended until creamy and topped with bacon and scallions. It is intensely savoury, smoky and sharp, with enough beer flavour to make pretzels feel underdressed.

Origin

This specific version was created for Dinner by the Minute in Alberta, Canada. Beer-cheese dips exist in several North American traditions, but this recipe deliberately Canadianizes the idea with Canadian beer and maple-friendly bacon energy.

Fun Fact

Because the beer is blended into this dip rather than cooked for a long period, the alcohol is not cooked off. Use a non-alcoholic beer if you need an alcohol-free version.

Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Total
25 min
Servings
8 about ¼–⅓ cup dips
(halve it if it's just you and today has been a lot)
Difficulty
easy
Nut-Free
Diet
Nut-Free, Low-Carb
Away Mission
60 min walk
(or beam directly past it, if the transporter's working today)
#alberta #bacon #beer-cheese #canadian #dip #game-day #party-food

Ingredients

  • ½ lb cheddar cheese
  • ½ lb smoked mozzarella
  • 4–6 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 scallion, chopped
  • 1 bottle Canadian craft beer
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked
  • 1 additional scallion stalk, chopped, for topping

Steps

  1. Finely shred the cheeses and place them in a blender.
  2. Cook the bacon until crisp but not burnt. Drain and crumble.
  3. Add the garlic, Dijon, Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt, chopped scallion and beer to the blender. Blend on high until creamy.
  4. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with bacon and additional scallion. Serve with bread, tortilla chips, fries, chicken, onion rings, celery, carrots or whatever has volunteered to become a dip delivery system.

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Notes

The original recipe specifically says to use a blender, not a mixer. It also encouraged supporting local craft brewers. Sensible advice, provided everyone drinking the beer is legally allowed to do so.

Nutrition Facts
Per About ¼–⅓ cup dip
Calories 270
Burning this off: two laps of avoiding small talk at a family gathering.
% Daily Value*
Fat 17.0 g 23%
Saturated + Trans 10 g 50%
Cholesterol 55 mg
Sodium 630 mg 27%
Carbohydrate 3.5 g
Fibre 0.0 g 0%
Sugars 1.5 g 2%
Protein 17.0 g
Potassium 150 mg 3%
Calcium 360 mg 28%
Iron 0.7 mg 4%
*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.
A genuinely respectable nutrition profile. No red flags here — go ahead and feel a little smug about it.

Substitutions

Use Gouda, Monterey Jack, provolone or Swiss in place of some of the cheese. Non-alcoholic beer works for an alcohol-free version. Turkey bacon can replace pork bacon. For maximum indulgence, add extra smoked cheese and bacon because apparently brakes were optional.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving if any liquid separates.

Freezing

Not recommended. Cheese-based blended dips can become grainy or separate after freezing and thawing.