Unless the dad in your life is a vegan, they are going to most likely really love this! Tonight is the first game of the NBA Finals between the OKC Thunder and the Miami Heat. The Thunder may not win but we are winners at this house! We had my restaurant style chicken wings (recipe in the index) and something new that a co-worker told me about: Smoked Cheese! It is so easy to do, why pay more for the kind that may have more or less smoke flavor than you prefer?
Here is what you will need:
Of course, you can use any kind of cheese you like, but use ½ – 1 lb. and if you don’t buy the shredded kind, then cut the block up into chunks. I added real bacon bits. You can add nothing, cranberries, jalapeños, pecans or anything else you can dream up – it all works just fine because I have tried it all.
Put the cheese into a bowl and put the “extras” on top – in this case bacon bits.
Mix it up well.
Place mixed up cheese and bacon in pie pan.
Put it in the smoker with any other meat or veggies you may have going. Or if you don’t have a smoker, put it on indirect heat of a charcoal grill. Make sure it is only very loosely covered with foil. Then shut the door and DO NOT open for 30 to 45 minutes. 30 for lightly smoked cheese and 45 for medium smoked. If you want more smoke taste, feel free to leave it up to an hour, but more than that and it will get hard and crusty.
We own a Brinkmann Smoker that is electric and we used Hickory wood chips. This is where I would show you a picture of said smoker, but it’s locked up in the workshop and I can’t find the key!!
Take the cheese out of the smoker.
Back in the kitchen, dab the top with a paper napkin or fresh piece of white bread to soak up the small remnants of oil on top.
See the oil?
Then serve on cracker like this or any way you want. I must admit that when we pulled this out, I took the pictures and then we stood at the counter with a bag of tortilla chips and “dipped” it out of the pie pan until it was all gone! This stuff is incredibly creamy and good!!! It is so easy and tasty you’ll look like a gourmet and the dad in your life will think you are a genius!
