Tailgating Menu Week 4 – Bears vs Packers

Spread on the love of onions, cheese and bacon with this dip from, believe it or not, Cooking Light!

I read that drinks at Lambeau Field are either served way too hot or way too cold. This temperature control problem doesn’t make any sense to me, and since I don’t want any of you to have an unpleasant experience, I’m glad this week’s game is at home, safe and sound at Solider Field where the drinks are served at expected temperatures.

This confusion leads me to make an attempt in understanding these “Cheeseheads.” As a result, I developed a menu featuring different types of cheeses. With the variety and types of cheeses out there, I narrowed the range down to four types:
1. Fresh and soft cheeses, like Ricotta, Mozzarella and Feta
2. Semi-hard, medium-aged cheeses, like Havarti, Gruyere and Manchego
3. Blue cheeses, like Stilton and Gorgonzola
4. Hard-aged cheeses, like Cheddar, Asiago and Parmigiano Reggiano

Each course pairs well with many different beers and wines, but I did select a few types that would work best. I would encourage you to incorporate these suggested pairings with each dish.

A fancy, yet easy, blue cheese cheeseball filled with flavors of fall: walnuts and dates.

Appetizers: Date, walnut and blue cheese ball
Caramelized onion, gruyere, bacon spread

Both cheesy dips have a distinct flavor profile that pleases all palettes. The first one mixes blue cheese, I would recommend picking up a Stilton, buttermilk and cream cheese into a smooth, creamy texture. Then, fold in Medjool dates, shallots and lemon zest, and chill into a ball. Once chilled, the cheese ball is rolled in parsley and walnuts for additional texture and freshness.

For the onion and bacon cheesy spread, what’s there not to like? After caramelizing onions, Gruyere cheese, I suggest getting a French Gruyere, chives, mayonnaise, sour cream and bacon are blended together. The final dip is poured into a ceramic dish and baked to gooey perfection. Serve both with hearty crackers, like a wheat or butter cracker, or even slices of toasted baguettes.

Wine pairings: Riesling or Chardonnay
Beer pairings: A Pale Ale or Barley Wine