Savory Monkey Bread + Beer Cheese Dip

Welcome back to QCK!

In honor of Super Bowl Weekend (AKA Snack Bowl Weekend) I wanted to share one of my favorite party recipes; savory monkey bread with beer cheese. It’s a super simple recipe that can please literally any crowd.

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it combines so many different flavors into one appetizer and it’s super versatile so you can tailor it to please any crowd you’re entertaining. For today, I chose everything bagel, bacon and garlic parmesan with beer cheese as a dip. However you could easily use cheddar, garlic and herb, sour cream and onion, etc. along with your favorite party dip. My Jalapeño Popper Dip would be a great fit.

Tips and Tricks

• If you’re crunched for time or simply don’t feel like making your own bread, you can use canned biscuits from the refrigerated section and follow the baking directions on the package.
• I use the ramekin inside of a cake pan because it makes an easy serving device (less dishes). If you don’t have an oven safe dish, just use a bundt pan and serve the dip on the side.
• This recipe can easily be made on the stove or in a slow cooker. For stove-top, follow the same directions below. For crockpot, place all ingredients in the crockpot on low and stir every 10-15 minutes until creamy, about one hour.

Recipe

Prep: 30 Mins-1 Hr 30 Mins

Cook: 30 Mins-1 Hr

Difficulty: Medium

Servings: 6-8

For the Bread (OR SUB 2 PACKS CANNED BISCUITS SEE NOTE ABOVE)

• 2/3 C Whole Milk, warm
• 1 T Granulated Sugar
• 1 packet Yeast
• 1/4 C Unsalted Butter, melted
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 t Kosher Salt
• 3 C All-Purpose Flour, plus more for kneading
• 1/4 C Unsalted Butter, melted
• 3-5 T Everything Bagel Seasoning
• 1/4 C Parmesan
• 2 T Garlic Powder
• 5 Bacon Slices, fully cooked and chopped (or bacon bits)
• Flaky Sea Salt

For the Beer Cheese

• 1 T Unsalted Butter
• 1 T Garlic, minced
• 16 oz Beer
• 8 oz Cream Cheese, cubed
• 2 C Sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 2 C Colby Jack, shredded
• 1 t Onion Powder
• 2 t Cayenne
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Stir lightly and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, melted butter, eggs and salt.
3. Add yeast mixture to flour bowl and mix until combined with a wooden spoon. If the dough seems too wet, add another 1/4 C of flour and knead until fully combined.
4. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for about one hour or until tripled in size.
5. In the mean time make the beer cheese (see note above for crockpot directions). In a medium pot or instant pot set to sauté, add butter and garlic, stir until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant and soft.
6. Add beer and bring to a boil.
7. Boil for. 5-7 minutes to reduce slightly.
8. Cut cream cheese into small cubes and whisk in one cube at a time waiting until each cube is fully incorporated before adding the next.
9. Add cheddar and colby jack, stir until fully melted.
10. Add onion powder, cayenne, and salt. Set aside.
11. Preheat oven to 425°F
12. Grease a cake pan and the outside of an oven-safe ramekin. Place the ramekin in the middle of the cake pan.
13. Once the dough has risen, dump it out onto a floured surface and lightly knead it until a smooth ball forms.
14. Pinch off 1-inch pieces of dough and form into balls, place in pan around the ramekin.
15. Form one layer of bread all the way around the bottom and brush with melted butter, then top with seasonings. This can be done in sections as I did, or you can make each dough ball a different flavor.
16. Make a second layer of dough balls and repeat step 15.
17. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
18. Uncover and place in the oven. Reduce heat to 400°F and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked all the way through and golden brown on top.
19. Cool slightly and pour warm beer cheese into the middle ramekin.
20. Serve warm.

As always, I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you tried it out let me know in the comments. For more recipes check out my homepage and follow along on Instagram. Don’t forget to like, follow, comment and share. Thanks for reading! 

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