When I think of food in the month of March I think of all foods Irish. Even though the traditional Irish holiday, St. Patrick’s Day is in the middle of the month I feel a need to eat Irish food all month long.
When I saw this dip in the March issue of Everyday Food I knew I wanted to give it a try. I just so happened to have all of the ingredients on hand and I had family coming over for dinner that evening. I typically like to stay within the type of food we are eating for dinner. That night we were having American BBQ and this recipe didn’t really scream American BBQ to me–it screamed more Irish to me. I ultimately knew that my family would love this creamy–decadent dip.
I was definitely correct. They absolutely loved this recipe. I loved the deep stout flavor that you could taste in each and every bite. This dip is creamy to the tenth degree. It’s insanely creamy and rich. I think that everyone only ate a few pieces of bread and dip (not sure if its because they didn’t want to spoil their appetizer or because this is truly a rich dish.
Adapted from: EveryDay Food, March 2012
| Leek & Cheddar Dip |
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 leek, sliced into thin half-moons
- 8oz cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp stout
- coarse salt to taste
- *baguette for serving
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon of unsalted butter over medium. Add one leek to the skillet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cook until tender and slightly caramelized, about 12 minutes.
- Transfer leek mixture to a large bowl and add 2 cups of shredded cheddar, 8 oz package of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, and 3 tablespoons of stout (such as Guinness–I used an Oatmeal Stout). Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
- Transfer to a 1-quart baking dish and bake until bubbling and browned on top, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve on slices of baguette.
I see dark green in the pictures. Do you use the dark green part of the leek?
Hi Gloria, I did. If you do use the dark green parts make sure you cook those down as they can be a little tougher and chewier. Enjoy!
This is perhaps the very first moment in months that I have wished for summer to be over, but only so I can make this dish. It looks outstanding!
MMMM,..What a truly appetizing & tasty dip: just perfect for me!
Lovely flavours in here too 🙂
This sounds great-so happy to have found your site!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’ll make this dip one day!
This looks awesome and I love your new blog design. Happy St. Patrick’s Day (early)
Oh and I have to say, your photos are awesome!!
Oh this looks so good…I love leeks, never thought to include them in a dip! What a great recipe, perfect for any kind of entertaining!
Your blog looks beautiful 🙂
Thanks for all the kind words! Yes, you are right–perfect any type of entertaining!
This looks fantastic! I’m a sucker for anything involving leeks 🙂 I’m beyond excited to meet you at FBF!!!
Thanks! I can’t wait to learn more about what goes into recipe development next week.
Great recipe and the photos rock! I really like your new wordpress layout too =)
Thanks friend! You know I’m working diligently on improving my food photography 🙂
Great appetizer! and congrats on the new blog look — it’s cool 🙂
This is an awesome appetizer indeed! Thanks for the kind compliments about my blog!
Great dip and the site looks great too!
Thanks, Alyssa! You must give this recipe a try ASAP!