This month, we have crafted this delicious shareable Chili Cheese Nachos dish using our Ale Aged Pub Cheddar style cheese. The combination of the lentil & baked bean chilli and the warm ale cheese dip, makes it a perfect dish for an outdoor barbecue with friends or to enjoy solo, we won’t judge ;)
INGREDIENTS
Instant Pot Chili
2 cups vegetable stock (see directions)
1 cup dry brown lentils
1 green pepper diced
1 28 oz can of crushed tomato
1 19 oz can of red kidney beans
1 14oz can of baked beans in tomato sauce
1 cooking onion minced
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 Tbsp neutral cooking oil
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dry oregano
1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper + more to taste
Melty Beer Cheese Sauce
1 package of Aged Ale Cashew wheel
1/3 cup of light beer
1 1/2 cup of plant based milk
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp tapioca starch
Salt and pepper to taste
CHILI DIRECTIONS
**optional, in advance,simmer your stock with a handful of dried mushrooms, a splash of tamari, liquid smoke, and 1 Tbsp of red miso to give it more of a beef like flavour and depth before adding to your chili **
1. Turn your Instant Pot on Sauté mode.Add in oil, peppers and onion. Sauté until the onion is slightly translucent, and very fragrant. Next add in garlic and spices and fold together. Cook for another minute to develop those flavours.Turn off Sauté Mode
2. Add everything else for the Chili to your Instant Pot, while reserving 1/2 a cup of the stock to use after the cook time (if needed) for a thinner consistancy. Stir everything together until evenly incorporated.
3. Put the lid on, seal the steam valve and pressure cook for 15 mins, then allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes, before manually releasing any pressure that is left.
This makes enough chili to reserve half in the freezer for a later date when plating it as a topper for your beer cheese sauce. If you're feeding a large crowd, double the cheese sauce recipe and eat it all up!
CHEESE SAUCE DIRECTIONS
1. In a saucepan or pot on medium heat, add your cheese wheel, along with a little bit of milk and beer. Mix with a whisk as it melts slowly, adding your liquid little by little to incorporate smoothly as it simmers.
2. With the last 1/2 cup of milk, whisk in the tapioca starch to create a slurry. Pour the slurry in, along with nutritional yeast, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bring the heat up to medium high and whisk continuously until smooth and glossy. The tapioca starch adds a slight bit of stretch and texture similar to that of a real cheese sauce.
In a shallow, wide serving bowl, pour in hot cheese sauce, scoop on almost half of that chili, and add desired toppings. Fresh grilled corn, parsley and a sprinkle of chili powder was perfect. Dip away with your favourite corn chips!