I don’t know about anyone else but I’m a sucker for a great dip. Whether it’s a small gathering or a crowd some kind of dip is typically my contribution. So when Chef Chad Gauss, Chef of The Food Market, decided to share a beer cheese fondue recipe (enhanced with Tillamook cheese) I jumped on the chance to make it for a little pre-dinner appetizer.
Now the only thing that wasn’t in Chef Chad’s original recipe was the bacon bits and scallion topping. I mean the only thing that makes cheese even better would be bacon (in my personal opinion) so I decided to top it off with just a couple crumbles.
Now the star of this beer cheese is obviously THE CHEESE and this Tillamook medium cheddar is insanely delicious. I had personally never had Tillamook cheese, or really even heard of the Oregon based dairy co-op until they reached out to partner up. And let me tell ya, I’m very happy they did because I might never buy another kind of shredded cheese again.
Aside from having amazing tasting cheese (and did I mention ice cream), Tillamook’s is a company I can feel good about standing behind. Their mission is to “…better connect farmers and food lovers through better-made dairy products.” What does that mean? Well they say they have “Dairy with standards. From cows not treated with rBST” and they truly treat every farmer as family.
If you’ve never tried their cheese or ice cream you are in luck, because they are now available in the Baltimore area (click here to find what stores carry Tillamook cheese and ice cream!).
Not interested in heading to your local grocery store? Well you are in even more luck because The Food Market and Ceremony Coffee in Mt. Vernon have teamed up to bring Baltimore an event they are calling #MeltyFest! Both restaurants will be having menu “takeovers” enhanced with Tillamook cheese and ice cream!
I was lucky enough to be invited to the VIP event at The Food Market, a personal Baltimore favorite, to taste some of the items that will be on The Food Market’s Tillamook menu takeover July 28th – August 2nd. Chef Chad Gauss worked his usual food magic and utilized a couple different kinds of Tillamook cheese to create some amazing menu items. Think habanero crab dip and reuben charred salad, to seared scallops in white cheddar risotto and grilled cheese “steak”.
I mean just look at some of these drool worthy dishes below;
Overall, I think my favorite dish of the night was the Habanero Crab Dip. The dip was made with the Tillamook Hot Habanero cheese and the bread was topped with Tillamook Extra Sharp White Cheddar; aka my kind of appetizer.
If you’re in the Baltimore area you’ll just need to check out #MeltyFest for yourself and let me know what your favorite dish from the takeover is! More details can be found HERE!
And now for what you all have probably been waiting for, the Beer Cheese Fondue recipe from Chef Chad! I altered slightly by adding a topping of bacon pieces and scallions!
Ingredients:
8 oz. Tillamook medium cheddar shreds
8 oz. heavy cream
4 oz. beer, Natty Boh (obviously)
Two slices of bacon (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup of scallions
Pretzels (for dipping!)
Directions:
- In a sauce pan, bring the heavy cream and beer to a boil.
- Whisk in the cheese until smooth. (Be sure to keep an
eye on the cream because it can over boil.) - Pour into a bowl and top with crumbled cooked bacon and chopped scallion.
- Pour into a bowl and ENJOY!
THAT’S IT!
I couldn’t stop eating this dip; I mean dip dip hooray amirite?
Tell me, have you tried Tillamook cheese before? Are you going to try this recipe or head to The Food Market or Ceremony Coffee next week? I’d love to know below!
‘Til my next craving!
XO!
Melissa
This post was sponsored by Tillamook! As always, I cannot thank each of you enough for following along and supporting brands I love!