Category Archives: Dips

Fresh Tomato Salsa

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

I made this salsa when I made the stovetop chicken fajitas. It was a fantastic condiment to serve with the fajitas and I was sad we had no salsa leftover. My husband is looking forward to me making it again and so am I. I’m not a jar salsa fan and would rather have something fresh and crisp to dip my tortilla chips in. It’s easy to put together and the longest part of the process is letting the tomatoes drain. Once that’s done, throw everything together and let sit for a few minutes so the flavors blend together. Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Salsa:

  • 12 ounces tomatoes (about 2 medium) cored and chopped small
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 2 tbs minced fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded and minced finely (whole if you want it very hot)
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice, plus extra to taste
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • Sugar
  1. Toss the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt in a colander and let drain for 15 minutes.
  2. Transfer the drained tomatoes to a bowl and toss with the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, 1 1/2 tsp of the lime juice and garlic. Season with additional lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. let the salsa sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Posted in Cheese, Dips, Football Food by

I know I’ve posted quite a few dips recently and I don’t want to bog you down with dips. But so many people are looking for the right one to serve at parties, especially during playoffs. This one pairs very nicely with Buffalo Wings. I made the recipe exactly as it said but next time I’m going to add more cheese to the dip. I felt it could use more, possibly up to another cup. You can always more or less of anything in this dip, to suit your tastes. You could use any other kind of thick fries if you don’t want to use waffle cut. I do recommend using a thick cut, due to the dip being a little on the thick side. Small cut fries won’t stand up to it. I hope you enjoy the loaded baked potato dip as much as my family did.

Loaded Baked Potato:

  • 1  (2.1-oz.) package fully cooked bacon slices
  • 1  (16-oz.) container sour cream
  • 2  cups  (8 oz.) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1/3  cup  sliced fresh chives
  • 2  teaspoons  hot sauce
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Garnishes: cooked, crumbled bacon; sliced fresh chives; freshly cracked pepper
  • Serve with: waffle fries or other thick cut fries
  1. Microwave bacon according to package directions until crisp; drain on paper towels. Cool 10 minutes; crumble.
  2. Stir together bacon and next 4 ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours before serving.
  3. Garnish, if desired. Serve with crispy, warm waffle fries. Store leftovers in refrigerator up to 7 days.

Source: January 2011 issue of Southern Living Magazine

Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Dip

Posted in Dips, Football Food, Sides, Starters by

We are in the middle of playoffs and soon the big game will be here. This dip would be perfect to serve at your next football party or any other party for that matter. When I first tasted it, I thought it was good. But as I continued to eating the dip got better and better. Everyone loved it and the only bad thing was that I didn’t  have enough corn chips to scoop up the dip. Do not make the mistake I did, make sure you buy 2 bags of the big corn chips scoops. Then you won’t have the grumbles coming from your family/friends like I did.

Aren’t those fingers so cute? Those are my baby girl’s.

Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Dip:

  • 1  sweet onion, diced
  • 1  red bell pepper, diced
  • 1  (1-lb.) package hot ground pork sausage
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2  cup  dry white wine
  • 1  (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1  (6-oz.) package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  (15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2  cup  (2 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 bags corn chips or 1 bag Pretzel rods
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook diced onion and next 2 ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid has almost completely evaporated.
  2. Add cream cheese, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in spinach and salt, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Gently stir in beans. Pour mixture into a 2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  3. Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with corn chip scoops and pretzel rods.

Source: January issue of Southern Living Magazine

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

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

Going to start off the week with one of my favorite dips, spinach and artichoke. We always end up ordering this when we go out to eat at a restaurant. The whole family enjoys it and it’s a fight for who will finish it off. Awhile back I decided I should try making this at home so we can enjoy it whenever we want. I finally found my go to recipe through Alton Brown. He is always spot-on with his recipes, but I did end up modifying this a little. The recipe is fast and easy, which I love. He had everything cooking on the stove and microwave, but I wanted to finish it off in the oven with melted cheese on top. That’s what took the dip to a whole new level. Serve this with tortilla chips or 1/2 inch sliced pieces of a French Baguette. You won’t miss your favorite restaurant dip again.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

  • 1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
  • 1 1/2 cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts
  • 6 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid.
  3. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir everything but the mozzarella together and place in a 9 inch pie plate. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve.

Source: Adapted from Alton Brow via Food Network

Baked Fontina

Posted in Bread, Cheese, Dips, Starters, Thanksgiving by

I got the new Ina Garten “How Easy is That?” cookbook a couple weeks ago. When I saw this recipe I knew it would be perfect for the cheese party we were having with my sister-in-law and her husband. This would make a great appetizer for your Thanksgiving get together.

The next time I make this I might not add as much olive oil as the recipe calls for. We felt there was a bit too much. I will leave the recipe as is because some might be ok with that much oil. I used a shallow baking dish instead of a cast iron pan and it worked just fine. I don’t think there anything better than melted cheese and crusty bread to dip into it.

Baked Fontina:

  • 1 1/2 lbs Italian Fontina, rind removed and 1 inch diced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbs minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 crust French baguette
  1. Preheat broiler and position oven rack 5 inches from the heat.
  2. Distribute the cubes of Fontina evenly in a 12 inch cast iron pan or shallow baking dish. Drizzle on the olive oil.
  3. Combine the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sprinkle it over the cheese and olive oil.
  4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place the pan under the broiler for 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and starts to turn brown.
  5. Serve with the crusty French baguette

Source: How Easy is That by Ina Garten

Hot Corn Dip

Posted in Dips, Football Food, Gina Marie Original, Starters by

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One of my favorite dips to make during football season is this corn dip. I got the recipe a few years ago and it’s become a staple in our house. When someone tries it for the first time, they can’t leave without getting the recipe; it’s that addicting. The key ingredients are corn, cheese and chipotle peppers. You can adjust the heat level by adding or subtracting the amount of chipotle peppers. Personally, I love a lot of chipotle peppers, it gives it a great zing. You can also change up the amount of cheese. I’ve made it with more of the montery jack than the chedder and it’s worked out great. The addition of fresh ingredients at the end of baking, rounds out a perfect party dip.

Hot Corn Dip:

  • 2 cups shredded chedder cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Montery Jack
  • 2 tbs chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced small
  • 1 small can (4oz) diced green chilies, undrained
  • 1/2 cup Mayo
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 11oz can of corn, drained
  • 1 small tomato
  • 2 tbs cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbs green onions, sliced thin
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix the cheeses, chiptole and green peppers, mayo, garlic powder and corn together. Pour into an oven safe dish.
  3. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly
  4. Top with diced tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Spicy Sausage Dip

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

Last week was a busy one and I apologize for not posting many recipes. Kids started back to school and I was busy celebrating. Now that we are getting back to a regular schedule I will try and be better about my postings. We are now in the throws of football and I couldn’t be happier. This past weekend I went to the the Penn State/Youngstown State game and had a wonderful time. I made football sandwiches for tailgating and plan to post those later this week.  In the meantime here is a wonderful spicy sausage dip that’s extremely addicting!  The dip goes well with a cold glass of beer and your favorite team on the TV. I like to have the ingredients always on hand so when we are craving it I can make it. It’s only got a few ingredients and within a few minutes you can enjoy a tasty dip.

Spice Sausage Dip

  • 1 (16 ounce) package hot pork sausage
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese; room temperature
  • hot sauce to taste
  1. Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned and no longer pink. Drain off the fat.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in the tomatoes and cream cheese until evenly blended. Cook just until heated through and the cream cheese is all combined. Serve warm.

Source: My Baking Addiction