Feb 22 Cheesy Goodness

I love cheese.
The kind that is edible mind you, and not the kind you see in bad movies.
I find delight in all kinds of cheese–blue, soft, hard, creamy, old, new–you name it and I bet I’d love it to.
As a fromage aficionado, aside from setting up an amazing cheese board, I have a certain weakness for cheese dips and in particular, ones that are warm and involve beer too.
I mean, how can anyone possibly resist the allure of a pot of simmering gooey melted cheese?
I know I can’t.
To wit, a chef recently sent me a recipe for one such cheese dip that would be perfect for an upcoming St. Patricks day party.
It’s fairly simple, and after making it (and sampling of course), I give this recipe five stars.
It comes from Chef Niels Kjeldsen, Executive Chef of Prime Pubs, a family of authentic Irish pubs.
Give this one a go and let me know if you think it’s worth five stars too!

Cashel & Kilkenny Cheese Dip

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients
Butter 1/2 cup or 125 ml
All purpose flour 1/4 cup or 60 ml
2% Milk 2 cups or 500 ml
Cashel blue cheese, crumbled 3/4 cup or 180 ml
Aged white cheddar, grated 3/4 cup or 180 ml
Mashed potato 3/4 cup or 180 ml
Cream cheese, softened 1 cup or 250ml
Kilkenny beer 1 1/4 cup or 310 ml
Dijon mustard 1/2 tbsp or 7 ml
Panko, breadcrumbs 6 tbsp or 90 ml
Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp or 5 ml
Tabasco 1/4 tsp or 1 ml
Salt and pepper 1/2 tsp or 2 ml

Garnish
Baguette cut into coin shape 48 pcs
Olive oil 1/2 cup or 125 ml
Bacon, cooked, chopped 1/2 cup or 125 ml
Red peppers, diced 1/4 cup or 60 ml
Cashel blue cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup or 60 ml
Green onions, chopped 1/4 cup or 60 ml

DIRECTIONS:
Place butter in pot and melt (medium heat).
Add flour and mix well. Cook for 2 min.
Add all the milk at once and bring to a simmer, whisking continuously for 5 min.
Remove from stove and transfer to stainless steel bowl.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
Portion into 4 oven proof dishes and reserve.

Toss baguette coins with olive oil. Olace on hot grill for 15 seconds per side.
Top cheese dip with bacon, red peppers and Cashel cheese.
Place under broiler until melted. Garnish with green onions.
Arrange baguette coins around dish and enjoy!