Reba’s 10-Minute Beer Cheese Is So Good It Might Not Even Make It to Your Table

When we found out that beloved country singer Reba McEntire was opening her own restaurant, we were beyond excited. With a name like Reba’s Place, which sounds like you’re going to your good friend’s house for a nice home-cooked meal, we assumed the menu would be loaded with down-home comfort food—and we were right.

The only problem? McEntire’s restaurant is only in Atoka, Oklahoma. 

However, it seems McEntire knows we’re a little bummed we can’t all visit her restaurant because every so often, the “The Voice” judge will share a recipe from the Reba's Place's menu for us to try at home. Sure, the recipes leave us wanting to visit the restaurant even more, but at least they fill that Reba-sized hole in our hearts for a moment.

This summer, we tried McEntire’s BLT Sandwich recipe that was found on the Reba’s Place menu during its grand opening. The BLT, which is topped with bacon, heirloom tomato, lettuce, and a homemade “BLT” aioli, is quite a time-consuming endeavor—especially for a sandwich that typically takes mere minutes to throw together. So, when we saw McEntire share a fall-inspired recipe for her beer cheese that only takes 10 minutes to make, we were extremely intrigued.

McEntire shared the recipe with our sister brand, “People,” for a food feature that she guest edited. The 10-minute recipe calls for butter, minced garlic, brown ale or lager, white Cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, ground mustard, Dijon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. You melt the butter, then add the garlic and beer to a small pot to cook for a moment. Then, everything goes into a food processor until it’s combined, thick, and creamy—and it’s ready to serve. 

At Reba’s Place, the beer cheese is served on the Southern Charctuerie Board alongside ham, sausage, pimento cheese, boiled peanut hummus, pickles, crackers, and crusty bread, but you could also serve it with soft pretzel bites or even just tortilla chips.

I tried McEntire’s quick and easy beer cheese, and let’s just say it’ll be on every one of my appetizer, tailgate, and party tables for the rest of eternity.

I Tried the Reba's Place Beer Cheese

First and foremost, don’t make the same mistake I did. When I read the recipe, I thought I could skip the food processor altogether and make the cheese entirely on the stove. That way, it would be warm and gooey—and I wouldn’t have to wash my pesky food processor. Sadly, that didn’t work because the cheese doesn’t emulsify and get thick enough when you add it directly to all the liquid on the stove. So, you do need to dirty that food processor, unfortunately.

For the recipe, I opted for Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer because it’s a darker, more robust lager—and it has some seasonal fall flavors that I thought fit the mood. The beer flavor really comes through in the cheese, so if you want it milder, I’d leave it on the stove a little longer to cook that alcohol out. Or use a more mild light beer.

Overall, this beer cheese is ridiculously simple to make. It’s one of those recipes you can memorize and have in your arsenal when you need a quick dip for entertaining.

I served it with crusty bread, but I had leftovers that I could see myself repurposing as a burger topping or for soup. But, even if I didn’t have leftovers, it’s so easy to make again that I could whip up another batch in no time—and I certainly will be whipping up another batch soon.