Category Archives: Dips

Hot Reuben Dip

Posted in Dips, Football Food by

Reuben Dip

I’ve never been a big fan of the Reuben sandwich and I really don’t know why. I love all the ingredients but for some reason when I’ve seen it on the menu, I shy away. I saw this recipe that turns the sandwich into a dip and I decided to try it. What I found was that all the ingredients complemented each other without overpowering one another. I’m so glad I tried this dip, I don’t think I’ll shy away from a Reuben sandwich ever again.

 

Hot Reuben Dip:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
  • 4 ounces (about 4 slices) deli sliced corned beef, chopped
  • ½ cup Thousand Island dressing
  • ½ cup drained sauerkraut
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of the Swiss cheese, the dressing and corned beef. Spread in a pie plate or other shallow serving dish. Top with the sauerkraut and the remaining ½ cup of Swiss cheese.
  3. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Serve hot with cocktail-size rye bread squares.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Herb Dip and a Sweet 16 birthday party

Posted in Dips, Entertaining by

 

This is what I’ve been busy with the past couple weeks. My daughter will be turning 16 this week and we wanted to give her a party she won’t ever forget. As you can see, it was a Mad Hatter Tea Party theme. It turned out exactly how I had imagined (despite the rain). Our menu consisted of the chicken salad sliders, spirals (Sam’s Club), salmon and cream cheese tea sandwiches, caprese skewers, fruit and cheese platter, and herb dip served in individual bread cups.

 

This was the closest shot I got of the herb dip in bread cups. The rain finally stopped after the party was getting started and I was rushing to get the food out while I had a crowd around me cheering me on. The herb dip was a huge hit and went fast. It’s perfect to serve a crowd and with football starting, perfect for your game watching. I took baguettes and cut the ends off, then sliced the bread into 4-5 inch pieces. With those pieces, I sliced them at a diagonal in the middle of the slices, to create the angled bread cups. Hollowed out the inside (leaving enough bread so the dip won’t fall out) then piped the dip in the holes. It looked so beautiful, definitely my favorite part of the food table.

We put drink me tags on all the water bottles. They looked so cute!

The table settings were beautiful even after the rain hit.

My parents were kind enough to get her birthday cake for us. I was planning on making it but was quickly realizing I would have no time to do exactly what I wanted.

I did however make cookies for everyone to take home. I realized the day after the party that I had not taken any pictures of the cookies. I quickly gathered the leftover cookies so I could take a quick photo.

I can’t believe she’s going to be 16!

Happy Birthday to cutest Mad Hatter ever!

Herb Dip:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 scallions, white and green parts, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and blend. Refrigerate overnight or for up to at least 6 hours.

 

Source: Ina Garten via Food Network

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corn Salsa

Posted in Dips, Grilling, Sides, Vegetables by

This is the time of year for corn and we eat it at least once a week during the summer. Sometimes it’s nice to have corn in different ways other than right off the cob. This salsa tastes like the one from chiptole and you can pair it with the cilantro-lime rice I already posted about. You could also use this salsa to go with any grilled meats. It would be great with steak. I cooked the poblano chile pepper on the grill while I grilled chicken. But if you aren’t making this when you were planning to grill, you could easily put the pepper under the broiler. Just be to sure to turn the pepper every couple minutes and watch it closely so it does not burn.

Corn Salsa:

  • 1/2 small poblano chile pepper, seeded
  • 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears), or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  1. Preheat a grill to medium high. Brush the poblano with 1 teaspoon olive oil and grill, skin-side down, until charred but still firm, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly; peel and finely chop.
  2. If using fresh corn, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes; drain. (You can use leftover corn and just cut it off the cob without having to re-heat it)
  3. Mix the corn (if using frozen, add it here), poblano, jalapeno, cilantro and red onion in a bowl. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, the lime juice, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve and enjoy

Source: Food Network

Restaurant-Style Queso Blanco Dip

Posted in Cheese, Dips by

If you are like my family when you go to a Mexican restaurant, you must order cheese dip with your chips. My kids are addicted to it. With Cinco de Mayo just a few days away, you can celebrate it by making a homemade version of the addicting cheese dip.

I’ve been seeing recipes popping up all over the blogosphere and decided to finally try it. The surprising ingredient is white American cheese. It melts wonderfully and gives it the taste that you get in the restaurants. When I went to the deli to get the cheese, I asked for a block of 3/4lb White American, un-sliced You can play around with the jalapenos and tomatoes and put in as little or as much as you would like. The recipe makes a large amount of dip, so this would be great to make with family and friends. Put it in a crock pot to keep it warm and enjoy!

Queso Blanco Dip:

  • 1 Tbs Vegetable or Canola oil
  • 1/4 cup white onion, diced
  • 1 large jalapeno or serrano, seeds and stem removed; diced
  • 12 oz white American cheese (I have the deli give 3/4lb block), shredded
  • 4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup-2/3 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk
  • 1 roma tomato, seeds removed and diced
  • 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
  1. Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low.
  2. Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted.
  3. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. (I needed to add a lot of cream to get it the right consistency, the cheese will thicken as it sits) Serve with chips

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Posted in Dips, Entertaining, Football Food by

If you are planning a Super Bowl party, this dip has to be on the menu! Sadly, my Tampa Bay Buccaneers self destructed this season so my team is nowhere near the playoff season. But, I am cheering on the New England Patriots because their Offensive Coordinator is now the head coach for my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions. I am very excited about Coach O’Brien and hopes he does well throughout the playoffs.

Let me get back to the food, if you love jalapeno poppers you are going to LOVE this dip. I wasn’t sure how much of the flavor of regular poppers would come out in the dip, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was strong. You will think you are eating poppers. I think they are best served with tortilla chips but you could use crackers too. You can up the amount of heat by using another jalapeno and the stems and ribs (the white part inside). With not knowing how much heat my guests would like, I took out the seeds and ribs on the jalapeno’s. I also added more cheese because life is better with more cheese. Anyway you make this, your guests will love it!

Jalapeno Popper Dip:

  • 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
  • 3 jalapenos, minced finely
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • nonstick cooking spray
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapenos, and both shredded cheeses in a medium bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 9×9 baking dish.
  3. Mix the Panko and Parmesan together in a small bowl using a fork. Sprinkle evenly over the dip in the baking dish. Spray the topping lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the dip is hot. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Slightly adapted from Tracey’s culinary adventures via My Baking Addiction (via Annie’s Eats)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Posted in Dips by

I was rushing out the door on Christmas Eve to get to a friends house for dinner and realized that I had not taken a photo of this dip. I had to quickly snap a photo so I do apologize that the lighting is a bit off. But I can honestly tell you that this dip is just as good as it sounds and I don’t think the photo will take you away from wanting to make it. When I saw this on my Google Reader a few days before Christmas Eve, I was very thankful that I hadn’t quite finished my grocery shopping. I added all the ingredients to list so I could make it.

It tastes just like cookie dough! Serve it with Nilla wafers and graham crackers, or do as I do and eat it with a spoon. Before you start eating healthy when 2012 rolls around, make this dip for New Years Eve and let this be your last indulgence for a couple weeks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus extra for sprinkling
  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until it dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in vanilla and set aside to cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar together for 60 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture, then the salt. Mix until combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
  3. Garnish with additional mini chocolate chips. Serve with animal crackers, Nilla wafers or graham crackers.

Source: Sing for your Supper

 

Spinach Dip

Posted in Dips, Football Food, Sides, Starters, Vegetables by

I love spinach and this dip is one of my ultimate favorites. It’s a very popular recipe but I will still post it just in case there are those who have never made it before. One of the things I did change was the amount of mayonnaise used. The original recipe calls for 1 cup but I feel that it gives to much of a mayonnaise taste so I cut it back to 3/4 cup. Other than that, I don’t change up the recipe too much and it’s always a hit. I love to double the recipe so I know I will have leftovers.

 

Spinach Dip:

  • 1 10 ounce pkg chopped frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out (place spinach in towel and squeeze)
  • 1 16 ounce container sour cream
  • 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 package Knorr® Vegetable Soup recipe mix
  • 1 8 ounce can water chestnuts, chopped fine
  • 3 green onions, chopped fine
  1. Mix together the Mayo, sour cream and vegetable soup mix.
  2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix till all combined. Place in refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with pumpernickel bread, crackers and veggies.

Source: slightly adapted from Knorr