Appetizers – Dips

Creamy Crawfish Dip

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I know, it looks like I didn’t really make the recipe – but you go with what you have on hand.  And I had lots of cream cheese spread on hand!

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tab butter (1/2 stick)
  • 1 bunch green onions (white parts only), chopped.  (I used purchased diced onions – about 1/4 c)
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (I used the rest of a jar of pimento – you just need the color)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1 (8oz) package cream cheese (I used cream cheese spread – the soft cream cheese)
  • 3 Tab mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip)
  • 1 tsp creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s (I only had Cajun seasoning so skipped the cayenne and added a pinch of basil)
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste
  • 1 12 oz pkg craw fish tail meat, thawed and drained (sure, everyone has that on hand!  Use cooked Bay shrimp- those tiny ones.)
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Crusty bread and Louisiana-style hot sauce, for serving

Directions:

  1. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat.
  2. Add onions and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and saute for another minute.
  4. Stir in cream cheese, mayonnaise, creole seasoning and cayenne.
  5. Whisk until smooth.
  6. Reduce heat to low.
  7. Add the craw fish tail meat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
  8. Season with salt to taste.
  9. Serve immediately with toasted bread slices and hot sauce.
  10. Garnish with green onion tops if desired.

Serves:  Makes 2 cups

Notes:  Frozen Louisiana craw fish tail meat is available at CajunGrocer.com.  or in the frozen seafood section of a well-stocked grocery store.  If using freshly cooked, whole craw fish, 5-6  pounds will yield 12 ounces of meat.

Source:  TheKitchn.com

Brandy Cheese Dip

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So, we have all this leftover cream cheese spread (the soft stuff)- what to do????

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz Gouda Cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese (I used cream cheese spread)
  • 3 Tab brandy

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Combine Gouda, sour cream, cream cheese and brandy in a 1 quart casserole dish.
  3. bake for 30 minutes.

Serves:  24 – Makes about 3 cups.

Source:  allrecipes.com, MKATZ1968

Take a Dip

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Dunk crisp pretzels here!

Caramelized Onion Dip

Ingredients:

2 c onions diced (3/4# – 3-4 medium onions)
2 Tab oil
½ c sour cream
½ c mayonnaise

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add chopped onion and sauté 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  3. Reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes or until onions are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove onion mixture from heat.
  5. Cool.
  6. Add sour cream and mayonnaise

Beer Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (1 pkg)
½ pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing mix
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
¼ c beer, more if needed
cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mash the cream cheese with the dressing mix.
  2. Stir in cheese.
  3. Mix in beer, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
  4. Season with cayenne pepper.
  5. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Buffalo-style Sour Cream

Ingredients:

Frank’s Red Hot sauce
1 c sour cream

Directions:

“Just add as much Franks Red Hot sauce as you can handle to a container of sour cream and dip away”

Source: tasteofhome.com.

 

 

Baked Reuben Dip

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Was not fond of sauerkraut until I tasted this dip!  When you want something different – and good.

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
  • 5 oz deli corned beef, chopped
  • 1 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated (8 oz)
  • 1 c Swiss cheese, grated (8oz)
  • ½ c mayonnaise
  • 2 Tab Russian salad dressing or chili sauce
  • ½ tsp caraway seeds (optional)
  • Rye crackers or little square rye bread

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix the first six ingredients.
  2. Stir in the caraway seeds.
  3. Transfer to a greased 2 quart baking dish.
  4. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves: 4 cups

Source: Taste of Home

 

Caramelized Onion Dip

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Way good dip – hot or cold.  You can top it with those crunchy onion bits that go on the green bean casserole at Christmas.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c onions diced (3/4# – 3-4 medium onions)
  • 2 Tab oil
  • ½ c sour cream
  • ½ c mayonnaise

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add chopped onion and sauté 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  3. Reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes or until onions are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove onion mixture from heat.
  5. Cool.
  6. Add sour cream and mayonnaise.

Serves:  2 cups

Source: tasteofhome.com.

Beer Dip

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I am sure you can figure out what to do with the rest of the beer!

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (1 pkg)
  • ½ pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing mix
  • 1 c cheddar cheese, grated
  • ¼ c beer, more if needed (cheap works, but some of the craft beers do give an interesting taste)
  • cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mash the cream cheese with the dressing mix.
  2. Stir in cheese.
  3. Mix in beer, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
  4. Season with cayenne pepper.
  5. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Source: tasteofhome.com.

Dukkah

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Add a little Middle Eastern exotica to your meal.  Too easy!   Usually served with cubed French bread dipped in olive oil, this is also good on green salads or cooked squash or cauliflower.  I have even breaded chicken with it – nice crunchy crust.

Ingredients:

  • 6 Tab sesame seeds
  • ¼ c coriander seeds
  • 1 Tab cumin seeds
  • ¼ c roasted, salted pistachios
  • 2 Tab roasted hazelnuts
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp peppercorns

Directions:

  1. Toast sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium-low heat until golden, 5 minutes.
  2. Pour into a bowl.
  3. Toast coriander and cumin seeds in pan until cumin is a shade darker, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Pour into bowl. Let cool.
  5. Grind seeds coarsely part at a time in a spice grinder or mortar with pistachios, hazelnuts, salt, and peppercorns.

Serves: Makes about 1 cup

Source: Sunset Magazine

Spiced Tomato Jam

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Good on meat loaf, pork chops,chicken  or goat cheese spread on toast.

Ingredients:

  • 6 large tomatoes (about 4 cups) peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 whole orange, thinly sliced, slices cut in 1/8th
  • 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed, slices 1/8th .
  • 2 c sugar
  • 2 Tab cider vinegar
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp whole cloves
  • salt

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, orange, lemon, sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves.
  2. Bring to a boil and simmer over moderate heat, stirring often, until thick and jam-like, about 45 minutes.
  3. Remove cinnamon stick and cloves
  4. Let cool and season with salt.

Serves: Make about 2 ½ cups

Comments:   Jam can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Source: Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, Sheamus Feeley

Herbed Cheese Spread Chablis

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Winemakers know good food!

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb Port d’Salut or Jack Cheese
  • 16 oz cream cheese (two 8 oz packages)
  • 1 c shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp crumbled dry marjoram
  • ½ tsp dried dill
  • ½ tsp hickory smoked salt or seasoned salt
  • 3 Tab soft butter
  • ½ c Chablis
  • pita chips
  • grapes

Directions:

  1. Grate the cheese very finely.
  2. Combine grated cheese, cream cheese, herbs, salt, butter and beat until well blended.
  3. Beat in wine until mixture is quite smooth.
  4. Place in 3 cup serving dish.
  5. Cover and chill overnight.
  6. Serve with pita chips
  7. Garnish with grapes.

Serves: Makes 3 cups

Source: Favorite Recipes of California Winemakers, Keith Nylander, DiGiorgio Wine Company