2 tablespoons butter
1/ 2 cup white onion, peeled and minced
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small jalapeño chili, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Pinch of ground cumin seed
Dash hot sauce or to taste
4-5 oz ale of your choice
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) finely grated aged Cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

Melt butter in large skillet, and add onion, shallot, garlic, chili spices, and cumin. Cook over low heat until onion is translucent. Add hot sauce and ale, whisk well and add cream cheese in large chunks, stirring constantly. When cream cheese is melted, stir in Cheddar cheese and remove from heat. The cheese will melt slowly, but texture is rough. You can scrape mixture into a food processor and pulse on HIGH if you want a smooth-textured dip. Taste and add salt if needed. Scrape mixture into a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours for flavors to meld. Garnish: top with chopped toasted pecans or chopped green onions.

I came up with this recipe in response to a query from the Brewing Network – always good to have some *real* cheese spread available for snacks….

Aged Gouda Macaroni & Cheese with Smoked Paprika
part of a series of Mac’n'Cheese brought to you by the
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
(WMMB consulting chefs contributed recipes to the BABF cookbook, second printing due soon!)

This is a plush version of macaroni and cheese, full of intense flavors such as smoked paprika and shallots. Aged Gouda is an excellent cheese for grating and baking, with a rich, nutty taste.

Aged Gouda Macaroni & Cheese with Smoked Paprika
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pennette or elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and finely minced
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
1 cup ready-to-serve organic roasted red pepper and tomato soup
1 3/4 cup (7 ounces) Wisconsin Aged Gouda, rind removed, grated
2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
Black pepper, freshly ground, about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat, and add flour. Whisk until smooth and bubbly – the flour will start to turn golden brown and smell like popcorn. Stir in paprika, dry mustard, turmeric, garlic salt and shallots. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in milk, stirring to remove lumps; add the prepared roasted red pepper and tomato soup. Stir well, reduce heat to low, and cook until slightly thickened, stirring often, set aside.

Place 1 heaping cup of cooked pasta into a buttered 9×12-inch baking dish; pasta should cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle about one-third cup grated Aged Gouda over pasta, repeat pasta and cheese layers three additional times or until all the pasta is in the dish, ending with cheese. Pour sauce evenly over the pasta and cheese mixture.

In a small bowl combine Panko bread crumbs with melted butter and ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden, about 45 minutes.

Pair with a brown ale or golden bock.

Photo by amypowersphotography.com