Cheesy Beer Muffins

Banana Cream Pie Murder This is a recipe from Norman's dental school colleague.

## Ingredients

* 4 cups flour-based muffin mix ***(I used Bisquick)***
* 12-ounce bottle or can of pale lager beer ***(I used Budweiser)***
* 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese ***(I used Tillamook sharp cheddar)***
* Optional: **Green chilies - See Hannah's 4th Note below before starting this recipe.**

**Hannah's 1st Note: I've used finely-shredded Kraft Mexican cheese or Kraft finely-shredded Italian cheese in these muffins when I didn't have the cheddar cheese. It works just fine.**

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Measure the muffin mix by filling the cup measure and leveling it off with a knife. DO NOT pack it down in the cup when you measure it.
* Place the muffin mix in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: I usually use my stand mixer to make these muffins, but you can also mix them up by hand.**

* Pour in the bottle or can of beer, wait a bit for it to stop foaming, and then mix it on LOW speed. Make sure that the muffin mix and the beer are combined, but don't worry if your mixture has a few lumps.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: If the beer you're using is cold, let it warm up a bit before you pour it into the muffin mix. If you add it cold, the baking time will be longer by several minutes.**

* Take the mixing bowl out of the mixer and stir in the half-cup of cheese by hand.
* Spray two 12-cup muffin or cupcake pans with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line the muffin cups with double cupcake papers.
* Fill the muffin cup three-quarters full, distributing the muffin batter as evenly as you can.

**Hannah's 4th Note: Sometimes, when I bake these muffins, I add a 4-ounce can of well-drained Ortega diced green chilies to the batter before I stir in the cheese. If Mike is coming to your house for dinner, you can also add a couple squirts of Slap Ya Mama hot sauce.**

**Hannah's 5th Note: If I have any shredded cheese left over, I sometimes sprinkle a little on top of the muffins before I bake them. Don't sprinkle on too much cheese. Just sprinkle a bit to add visual interest.**

* Bake your Cheesy Beer Muffins at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a long toothpick or thin skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean with no muffin batter clinging to it. ***(Mine took exactly 16 minutes.)***
* Remove your muffins from the oven and set the muffin pans on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack. If you sprayed your muffin cups, let them cool in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes and then tip them out of the muffin cups and place them on a wire rack to cool for another 5 minutes. If you used double cupcake papers to line the muffin cups, let them cool in the muffin pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Then pull them out of the pan by the edges of the paper liners, place them on a wire rack, and let them cool for an additional 5 minutes.
* You can serve these muffins warm or cold ***(I think they're better warm, but Mike also likes them cold and spread with cream cheese for breakfast the next morning.)*** If you serve them warm, place them in a napkin-lined basket, cover them with a second napkin, and serve them with plenty of softened, salted butter.

**Lisa's Note: Herb loves these muffins with homemade chili or beef stew. He also enjoys eating them with tomato soup. Sometimes I brush the top with butter and garlic salt while they're warm.**

Yield: 2 dozen beery, cheesy muffins that your guests will love.