Pour some craft beer into a pot instead of a pint glass and make a savory snack with this recipe from Saddle Mountain Brewing Company.
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Chef Shanelle McConnell considers Saddle Mountain Brewing Company in Goodyear her second home, so it makes sense that she specializes in cooking comfort food. “It is a home for me and all the staff to come to,” she says. “A place that we feel safe and enjoy returning to, even on our days off.” Nearly everything on the menu is scratch-made, from the salad dressings to the brisket brine. McConnell also makes a velvety amber ale beer cheese. “It is a great recipe, with subtle flavors that makes it a perfect dipping agent for pretzels, fries and chips,” McConnell says.
The beer cheese also performs magnificently on her Brewer’s Nachos, providing a creamy counterpart to roasted corn and bean salsa, pork green chile verde and house-made pickled jalapeños that “are just the right amount of sweet heat that brings everything together,” McConnell says. She shares her recipe for the ale-centric appetizer below.
Brewer’s Nachos with Beer Cheese
Ingredients
2 oz. unsalted butter
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
3/4 tsp. mustard powder
3/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. red chile flakes
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup amber ale
2 1/2 oz. pepper jack cheese
2 1/2 oz. American cheese
5 oz. cheddar cheese
Beer Cheese
- In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add butter and heat until butter foams.
- Add diced onion to butter and sauté until onion is translucent.
- Add mustard powder, garlic, red chile flakes, pepper and salt. Stir for one minute.
- Add flour, stir and cook for five minutes until a tan roux is achieved.
- Add 1/2 cup of milk and whisk.
- Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk, cream, buttermilk and beer. Whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a simmer and slowly add jack and American cheese while blending with an immersion blender until smooth.
Nachos
- Place a layer of chips in an oven-safe dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and beer cheese and place in a 350-degree oven for two to four minutes.
- Once all the cheese has melted, remove from oven and place Saddle Mountain Brewing Company’s pork green chile (or homemade pork green chile) on top of chips.
- Sprinkle roasted corn and black bean salsa evenly over the top.
- Drizzle with a sour cream blend and top with homemade pickled jalapeños.
