Cut a circle in the top of the bread leaving about 1 inch around the edge. Remove the top and tear out the inside of the bread to make room for the dip, leaving about 1-inch wall around the middle and bottom.
Cut slices around the edge of the bread about 1.5 inches apart. Slice about 3/4 of the way, but not all the way through the bottom. This will make pull apart pieces for people to tear off and dip.
Make the beer cheese dip
In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Add the grated cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the grated mozzarella, stir to combine.
Add the garlic powder, beer and hot sauce, stir until completely mixed.
Pour into the prepared bread bowl and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella on top. Replace top of the bread.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is golden.
Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve with additional slices of bread and/or crackers for dipping.
Serve in a dish with edges to catch any of the cheese dips that might spill out.
Notes
When people start tearing away at the sides of the bread bowl the dip will start to spill out. I suggest serving it in something with edges to catch the cheesy dip, or just have people dip other bread such as baguette slices into the bowl and don’t start tearing away the sides until most of the dip is gone.
As an alternative, you could use a fondue pot on low heat to keep this dip melty and warm for serving.
You can use a lager-style beer but stout beers work well too!
Some other great options for dippers would be celery sticks, carrot sticks, cauliflower florets, hard pretzels, soft pretzels bites, sausage or tortilla chips.
You can experiment with the cheeses in this dip. Some good melting cheeses are Monterey jack, pepper jack, gouda and sharp cheddar cheese. Swiss cheese would result in a dip similar to a traditional cheese fondue. Sharp cheese is always a great flavor choice!
Crock Pot Beer Cheese Dip: You can make this dip in a slow cooker and then transfer to a bread bowl or serving dish. Simply place all the dip ingredients in a crock pot and heat on high for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Should you have any leftover beer cheese, let it cool down to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can remelt it in a pan over medium heat.