THE Beer Cheese Dip

By popular demand, here's the recipe for the dip that I brought to the Fort Worth Cats tailgate:

2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sour cream (I used fat-free)
1 pkg. finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 bottle dark beer (I used Negro Modelo)
Seasoning to taste *
Chopped green onions to taste

Combine all ingredients (I use a stand mixer) and chill for at least 8 hours before serving with jumbo hard pretzels. (Buffalo wing-flavored potato chips are another good dipping option.)

Note: Forewarned is fair-warned. This dip will not taste like "itself" until it has had time to mellow, so fight the urge to sample right after you've made it . . . .

* The recipe calls for Ranch dressing mix, but I did not have any on hand (yes, I realize that this is sacrilege in a Southern kitchen!), so I put in a couple of shakes of Jess Hall's Serendipity Seasoned Salt (Parker County, Texas, REPRESENT!). Anything with a little salt, onion powder, garlic and parsley probably would do, but if you use the dressing mix, I would stop at half of an envelope.