Difficulty: Easy | Prep time: 5-10 minutes | Serves 6 (as long as you’re willing to share)

Hot cheese and crusty bread. That’s pretty much a meal in itself in my book, but if you do feel like sharing, this is one of the easiest recipes to put together for a large group. Prepared over a campfire or on a camp stove, this cheese dip is incredibly versatile and can be made with just about any type of melty cheese and beer you have on hand.

Pair with a couple of fresh baguettes and some cold beer for an appetizer that is sure to please everyone.

Ingredients:

3 Cups of shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 block of cream cheese cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle of beer (I recommend a Pilsner, but really, whatever beer you have on hand will do…alright maybe not a PBR, but you know what I mean).
2 baguettes sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

Equipment:

knife
cutting board
large spoon
cast iron skillet
campfire/stove

Directions:

Place the cast iron skillet over your campfire coals or on top of medium heat on your camp stove.
Add the cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper and half the bottle of beer to the skillet.
Stir constantly to ensure the cream cheese melts thoroughly and nothing burns or sticks to the bottom of the skillet.
Once the cheeses begin to melt, add 1/4 of the remaining beer and stir to incorporate.
At this point give the dip a taste and based on your preferences add more salt and pepper. If it sticks together and is stringy, add more beer. If it’s too thick, add more beer. If it’s perfect, drink the beer.
Once the dip reaches your desired sauciness immediately remove from the heat and serve alongside the sliced baguette.

Kick it up a notch:

Fold in a can of green chilies for a little spice and top with diced tomatoes. Alternatively, you could fold in chopped pancetta that was fried up before hand.