beer Archives - For the Love of Food https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/tag/beer/ Sharing home cooked, family friendly recipes, reviews, projects, & parties from my family to yours! Wed, 07 Feb 2024 07:17:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/cropped-favicon-1-32x32.png beer Archives - For the Love of Food https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/tag/beer/ 32 32 Mardi Gras Cajun Beer Cheese Dip https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/mardi-gras-cajun-beer-cheese-dip/ https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/mardi-gras-cajun-beer-cheese-dip/#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2014 17:28:00 +0000 http://test.robinhelp.com/index.php/2014/02/28/mardi-gras-cajun-beer-cheese-dip/     Living in Louisiana has it’s ups and downs but I must say one of my favorite things about this state is Mardi Gras! I’m a Mama now so the drunken craziness in NOLA doesn’t appeal to me but the family friendly food, parades, and festivals statewide are a blast! To celebrate Mardi Gras...

Read More

The post Mardi Gras Cajun Beer Cheese Dip appeared first on For the Love of Food.

]]>
 
 
Living in Louisiana has it’s ups and downs but I must say one of my favorite things about this state is Mardi Gras! I’m a Mama now so the drunken craziness in NOLA doesn’t appeal to me but the family friendly food, parades, and festivals statewide are a blast!
To celebrate Mardi Gras I made a Cajun inspired Beer Cheese Dip.
I used local Abita beer, Louisiana favorite: Andouille sausage, and
Cajun spices and Louisiana hot sauce! Finally I served them with festive
Mardi Gras chips from my local grocery store! Fun and colorful just like Mardi Gras!
As is the slogan of Mardi Gras: Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the good times roll)!
Last year, Ashton and I took Ava to Natchitoches, LA, a small river front
college town about an hour away. Natchitoches is best known for where the
film Steel Magnolias was based and filmed. My girl was still an
itty bitty baby and even with all the music and noise she SLEPT through
the entire parade and half of dinner afterwards! But we still had fun
celebrating her first Mardi Gras and our first Louisiana Mardi Gras Parade.
 
Ava in her Mardi Gras outfit last year and me modeling all the beads I caught!
My cutie all bundled up with her Daddy Mardi Gras 2013
This year, my mom is visiting so we are going to Lake Charles, LA, another town about an hour away. This Sunday they have a children’s festival and Children’s Mardi Gras Parade and then a boat parade later in the evening. View info on the events here: http://www.swlamardigras.com/events/ .
 
 
 
Print

Mardi Gras Cajun Beer Cheese Dip

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese softened and cubed
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 7-8 oz Andouille sausage chopped (about 1/2 a package)
  • 1 bottle Abita beer I used Purple Haze
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning I used Tony Chachere's
  • 1/2 tsp or more to taste Hot sauce ( I used Louisiana brand)
  • Tortilla chips or crusty bread for dipping

Instructions

  • In a skillet add sausage and cook until crispy (the sausage should be already cooked).
  • Remove to a paper towel lined plate and drain.
  • In a large saucepan add cubed cream cheese and beer. Heat over medium, stirring until melted and smooth.
  • Toss shredded cheese with flour and then mix into the cream cheese mixture until melted.
  • Finally add seasonings and hot sauce and remove from heat.
  • Stir in sausage and serve warm.
  • Serve with tortilla chips or crusty French bread for dipping.
 
 To add to the Cajun part of this dip I added chopped Andouille sausage.
It’s already precooked so you just have to heat it and crisp it up for a few minutes before adding it to the dip.
Crisp up the sausage in the skillet for a few minutes then drain to a paper towel lined plate.
You have to have beer for Beer Cheese Dip! I used local Abita beer as the base and mix with cubed cream cheese. Everything’s better with cheese!
Toss the shredded cheese with flour and then add to the saucepan.
Stir until melted.
Add hot sauce, garlic powder, and Cajun seasoning and then remove from heat.
Finally, mix in sausage.
All done and ready to serve!
Creamy and with a kick, this dip is sure to be a hit!
Serve with tortilla chips or crusty bread for dipping. 
Don’t you love these fun Mardi Gras chips I found at my grocery store?!
Happy Mardi Gras!

The post Mardi Gras Cajun Beer Cheese Dip appeared first on For the Love of Food.

]]> https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/mardi-gras-cajun-beer-cheese-dip/feed/ 2 Fall Beer Poached Shrimp and Loaded Pumpkin Grits https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/fall-beer-poached-shrimp-and-loaded/ https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/fall-beer-poached-shrimp-and-loaded/#comments Sat, 21 Sep 2013 04:51:00 +0000 http://test.robinhelp.com/index.php/2013/09/21/fall-beer-poached-shrimp-and-loaded/    I was excited when I found out about this contest featuring fall beer. I hate to admit it but I am not a fan of beer (even though my hubby is!) and I have never even cooked with it. So I wanted to try something out of the box for this recipe contest. While...

Read More

The post Fall Beer Poached Shrimp and Loaded Pumpkin Grits appeared first on For the Love of Food.

]]>
 
 I was excited when I found out about this contest featuring fall beer. I hate to admit it but I am not a fan of beer (even though my hubby is!) and I have never even cooked with it. So I wanted to try something out of the box for this recipe contest. While browsing the beer aisle at the store, it came to me: Shrimp & Grits…fall version!
So I set out to make a creamy loaded pumpkin grits and poached shrimp in beer! I serve it with a side of sauteed spinach or kale and you have a delectable fall inspired Southern meal!
 
 I searched high and low in our local grocery stores for unique fall beer but I could only find a few kinds so I decided to use Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale. Boy, I am glad I did! This beer was seasoned with nutmeg and has a light citrus flavor. Perfect for my Poached Shrimp and Pumpkin Grits!

My Fall Beer Poached Shrimp and Pumpkin Grits recipe was featured on ourstate.com
and won the Lowes Foods’ Local Flavor Recipe Contest: Craft Beer edition. The recipe photo was published in a Lowes ad in the November 2015 issue of Our State magazine.

 

Print

Fall Beer Poached Shrimp and Loaded Pumpkin Grits

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined (I use large size, about 20 shrimp)
  • 20 oz Fall Beer I use Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale, a little more than 1 1/2 bottles
  • 3/4 cup quick grits
  • 2 1/4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • 4 slices cooked bacon about 1/2 cup drained and chopped (reserve bacon grease)
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion sliced
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup diced green onions
  • salt/cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in pumpkin, heavy cream, grits, and a 1/2 tsp or so of salt.
  • Turn down heat to med low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a skillet add reserved bacon grease, about 1 tbsp, or you can use olive oil, and heat over medium.
  • Add sliced onions and cook until softened.
  • Add 2 oz of beer and steam onions until beer is absorbed. Then remove from heat.
  • In a small saucepan, add 18 oz of beer (1 1/2 bottles) and bring to a slow simmer over medium.
  • Add shrimp, stirring occasionally, and poach in the beer until pink about 3-4 minutes. Remove immediately to a bowl.
  • Add grits to a large bowl, top with bacon, onions, Parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper. Stir.
  • Add grits to plate then top with half the shrimp and garnish with green onions and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
  • Serve with a side of sautéed spinach or kale.
 
 
 
 
 Bring water to a boil then mix in pumpkin, grits, salt, and heavy cream.  
Cover and simmer for five minutes.
 
 
Peel, rinse, and devein shrimp (or buy them already done and save a lot of time!).
Add 18 ounces ( about 1 1/2 bottles) of beer to a small saucepan and bring to a 
slow simmer over medium.
 
 
 
 
Add shrimp to simmering beer and poach for a couple minutes on medium.
 
Add onions and reserved bacon grease to skillet and cook until softened.
 
 Add a couple ounces of beer to steam and cook until beer is absorbed.
 
 Mix in bacon, onions, and Parmesan cheese to grits.

Season with salt and pepper. 
 
Quickly sauté spinach or kale (pictured) tossed with a little olive oil and salt and 
pepper to serve on the side.
 
Creamy loaded pumpkin grits are my new favorite! Absolutely delicious!
 
Pumpkin, grits, shrimp, and beer…who knew they would go together so well!
The perfect bite! What a fun fall twist on a classic Southern dish!

 Be sure to leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear how you liked this recipe!
 
 

The post Fall Beer Poached Shrimp and Loaded Pumpkin Grits appeared first on For the Love of Food.

]]> https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/fall-beer-poached-shrimp-and-loaded/feed/ 6