Beer cheese dip for 12: sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack melted into a beer and milk sauce, served with warm soft pretzel bites. Make the dip at home in about 25 minutes up to 3 days ahead, then reheat it on the cool side of the grill at the lot and keep it there so it stays hot.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 25 min · Total: about 1¼ hours, not counting the chill
Home gear: a heavy saucepan, a whisk, a 10 in. cast-iron skillet or 2 nested 8 × 8 in. foil pans, heavy foil
Pack for the lot
- Beer cheese, covered, in the cooler
- Pretzel bites, in a foil packet (truck, not the cooler)
- Green onions or chives, in the cooler
- A small container of milk for loosening the dip, in the cooler
- Instant-read thermometer
- Spoon for stirring
- Heat-proof gloves or oven mitts
- Charcoal and a chimney starter, or a full propane tank
- Trash bags
Lot notes
- Fuel: charcoal or propane both work. All you need is a cool side to set the pan on. Some stadiums ban charcoal or open flames, so check yours in our stadium rules table before you pack fuel.
- Holding it hot: leave the pan on the cool side with the lid closed and check it with a thermometer now and then. Below 140°F, warm it back up to 165°F. Toss whatever has been out past 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F.
- Cold until it's on the grill: it's a cheese and milk sauce, so it rides in the cooler at 40°F or below until it goes on the heat.
- Watch the bottom: cheese sauce scorches on thin foil. Cast iron is safest. In foil, nest 2 pans and stir often.
- The beer doesn't all cook off: a sauce simmered for a few minutes keeps a good share of its alcohol. If kids, drivers or anyone avoiding alcohol will be at the table, make it with broth instead of beer and tell people which batch is which.
- Allergens: dairy and wheat, in both the dip and the pretzels.
- Cleanup: wipe the skillet once it cools, or fold the foil pans over any leftovers and toss them.
Can you make beer cheese dip ahead?
Yes. Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Reheat it on the cool side of the grill, stirring every 10 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F, and loosen it with a splash of milk.
How do you keep beer cheese dip hot at a tailgate?
Keep the pan on the cool side of the grill with the lid down so it holds at 140°F or above, and stir it now and then. Toss what's left after 2 hours out, or 1 hour over 90°F.
How much beer cheese dip for 20 people?
Double it for about 24: 12 tbsp butter, ¾ cup flour, 3 cups beer or broth, 3 cups milk, 2 lb cheddar, 1 lb Monterey Jack and double the seasonings, plus 4 bags of pretzel bites. Heat it in 2 pans and put the second one on when the first is half gone.
Does the alcohol cook off in beer cheese?
Not all of it. A short simmer leaves a good share of the alcohol in the sauce, so make a broth batch for kids, drivers and anyone avoiding alcohol.
Why is my beer cheese grainy?
Usually it's pre-shredded cheese or heat that's too high. Shred your own from the block, keep the heat low once the cheese goes in, and add it a handful at a time.