Better Cheddar Cheese Dip

Better Cheddar Cheese dip is going to be your next go-to appetizer. Chances are you will be making this so often you will have this recipe memorized in a couple months. 

What is Better Cheddar Cheese Dip

Sharp and tangy cheddar cheese is studded with walnuts and herbs. The ingredients are folded into a spiced mayonnaise making it creamy and addictive. It’s somewhere between a dip and a spread. The combination of textures and flavors makes it dangerously delicious.

This cheese dip is inspired by a specialty market in New Orleans called Langenstein’s. They make an array of dips, tasty apps and prepared foods but this is their star and with good reason. It is a staple in every local’s tailgate, happy hour or snack bag. Our recipe mimics their “better cheddar dip,” but while theirs has an intentional spicy kick, our version is much more mild. You can adjust the spice to your liking or serve with hot sauce on the side. We also add gouda to the cheddar to bring out more of the nuttiness. 

Since falling in love with this dip in New Orleans many years ago we have picked up several tips to get it just right and make the recipe our own.  

Our Best Tips for Best Cheddar Cheese Dip

Use the best of the best ingredients:

When a recipe is so simple and has such few ingredients, it’s important to use the highest quality you can find. Look for blocks of white sharp cheddar. The better ones will probably be in the specialty cheese island most markets have near the deli. Our favorite cheddars come from Tillamook, Cabot and Kerrygold. Either of these brands will work. For the gouda we like Gayo Azul. We strongly suggest not using smoked gouda. A better substitute would be gruyere or a mild cheddar for the gouda.  

We know it’s tempting to use cheddar that is already shredded, but we don’t recommend it. Cheeses that are pre-shredded usually have other ingredients to prevent the cheese from sticking together and from expiring too quickly. It’s an extra step to shred all that cheese but it’s 100 percent worth it. 

Measuring the Cheese:

It may seem silly to review how we measure the cheese but simple recipes only work when the simple ingredients are measured and used properly. The recipe calls for 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup of shredded gouda cheese. We used almost two 4-oz blocks of sharp cheddar cheese to get the four cups for the recipe. When the cheese was freshly shredded we used a dry measuring cup to properly measure. If you were to shred both of the 4 oz blocks of cheese completely the ratio will be off and not as creamy as it should be. 

Don’t overmix:

Once you add the mayonnaise and all the other ingredients it’s important not to overmix. We found the best tool to mix everything together was a fork. It incorporates everything but will not clump it up. If you overmix your cheese will bundle up together and the texture of will be off. You want it to be chunky and imperfect. If you mix it in a food processor the cheese will separate and be very oily. 

Serving the Dip:

Although you could serve this dip as soon as you mix in all the ingredients, it is best to wait a couple of hours for all the flavors to come together. We recommend letting it sit at least 30 minutes in the fridge. The longer the dip sits in the fridge, the more the spices will have a chance to penetrate the cheese giving it the best flavor. 

If you serve the dip straight from the fridge it will be very tasty but the texture will be similar to a butter that you can’t spread. It’s best to let it come to room temperature before serving so you can spread it over crackers or crusty bread. You can also appreciate the flavors of the cheese best at room temperature. Think of a cheese board and how soft and hard cheeses taste saltier, nuttier and creamier once they’ve been out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Enjoy this cheese dip smeared over our Cornbread Muffins with Honey Butter – Abuela’s Cuban Counter, Roasted Mini Peppers, crusty French bread, crackers, celery, other crudité and even pork rindsn. We even love serving this with “maduro mariquita” chips for that irresistible sweet and savory combo. If you have leftovers smash it between two pieces of bread and toast it up for the best grilled cheese you’ve ever dreamed of. 

Try Some of Our Other Delicious Appetizers (All Gameday Approved)

Check out our other dips Black Bean Dip – Abuela’s Cuban Counter or Abuela’s Guacamole Recipe – Abuela’s Cuban Counter.