Drunk and Hot: Green Chile Cheese Beer Bread

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I love quick breads. They come together, well, quickly, and they can be a vehicle for so many different flavors. From sweet breakfast breads to savory dinner loaves, the options are almost endless. A couple of years ago I came across a recipe in Cooking Light for a basic beer cheese bread and I thought at the time that it would be a great base for a green chile cheese bread. It turns out I was right. The green chile’s trusted companions, gooey cheese and earthy cumin, come along for the ride. The beer lends a slightly bitter edge to the bread to cut through the creaminess of the cheese and the soft dough. Serve this bread with a hearty soup or on its own with a bit of honey butter. It travels well too, so it’s perfect for a potluck or a holiday party. Or, make a loaf and eat the whole thing yourself. I won’t tell anyone.

Recipe: Green Chile Cheese Beer Bread

Adapted from Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Makes: 16 slices
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 oz. hot green chilies, chopped (about ½ c.)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ c. diced shallot
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ¾ tsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 13.5 oz. all purpose flour (about 3 c.)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about ½ c.)
• 2 oz. manchego cheese, shredded (about ½ c.)
• 12 oz. lager-style Mexican beer such as Dos Equis

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Place the green chilies in a double layer of paper towels and squeeze to remove as much moister as possible.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for five minutes or until tender but not brown.
4. Add the black pepper, cumin, honey, and chilies to the pan and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
5. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
6. Add the onion and chile mixture, cheeses, and beer to the flour mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined, careful not to over-mix.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for an hour or until a tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
8. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove it from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

Recipe for Success

• You can use mild chilies in this recipe if you’d like, but there’s enough going on with the bread and the cheese to help balance out the heat of warmer chilies.
• The final batter is very thick; resist the urge to over-mix it or the final bread will be tough.
• The recipe doubles beautifully and is great for gifting. Take a loaf to a potluck or to the office to make your co-workers happy.