3 dips for "Super" parties

The big game is this Sunday. I'm talking about Superbowl 46: Giants vs. Patriots. Granted neither team is MY team but that's not going to stop me from having a small scale watch party. It's always a hoot watching football with family and friends and basically yelling at the t.v. I expect some good time. Food is always an issue for these types of things though. Do I want to make a full meal or snacks? Plus, I don't want to spend so much time in the kitchen I myself can't enjoy the game. Selfish I know but I HAVE to watch the game. I want to share some dip recipes where you can make ahead and then sit back and relax.

Buffalo Chicken dip

The first dip recipe I'm going to share is a buffalo chicken dip. I heard about this dip from a friend and decided to just wing it one day and this is the recipe I came up with. I really love that you can customize it to how you like to eat your buffalo wings. It's very simple but definitely a crowd pleaser.

The Goods:
Rotisserie chicken from grocery store
2 (8oz) pkg of cream cheese
1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
¾ cup of your favorite hot sauce
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
sugar


The How To:

Shred as much of the chicken you think you would like. I recommend half to 3/4 depending how "hearty" you want the dip to be.  Dump cream cheese, salad dressing, hot sauce and sugar in the ceramic bowl a crockpot.  Cover and microwave for about 2 minutes and then stir.  Place the bowl back into the crockpot and add shredded chicken set temperature on high, stirring every ten minutes for about 30 minutes. Five minutes before serving sprinkle your cheese on top. If you like blue cheese, I like to sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top. It gives the dip that wonderful sharp taste and makes it look all fancy smancy. Or you can offer the blue cheese on the side as well.

If you let it sit for a while the hot sauce looks like it separates from the dip but that's fine. Your guests are suppose to stir it up before spooning some out. I really think celery and carrots are the best vessels to eat the buffalo dip with but crackers and chips are good too.

Parmesan Cheese Dip

I got this Parmesan Cheese dip recipe from my boss, Linda Jones, a few years ago and have claimed it as my own. No joke. My friends really think I came up with this delicious dip on my own. Now, the truth has come out. Again a super easy recipe that you can make up in advance, pop it in the oven when your guests come over and enjoy. This is for a big party but I'm made smaller batches by cutting the ingredients in thirds.

The Goods:

3 (8oz) pkg of cream cheese soften
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1 cup of parmesan

The How To:

It's really embarrassing to admit how easy this dip is to make. All you have to do is combine all of the ingredients. I pop the cream cheese in the microwave for about a minute to make it easy to stir. Place the mixture in an oven safe dish and bake for about 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree. The top of the dip should be slightly brown and edges bubbly. You will not believe how many compliments you'll get from this dip AND how many requests to bring it to the next get-together.

Hot Pepper Cheese Dip

My third and final dip is something I really did come up with after trying a jalapeno cheese spread from a local restaurant. At first, I was wary of the combination of flavors but it really grew on me. However, I was not about to pay $4 for a little 8oz container full if I can whip it up from things I had in my refrigerator. It took me a few tries but I think I got recipes down.

The Goods:

2 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 jalapeno or 3 thai peppers or 1 habanero pepper
3/4 teaspoon of garlic salt

The How To:

First, you will have to decide how spicy or mild you would like the dip. I would use both thai peppers and a habanero pepper in my dip simply because that's what I usually have handy. If you are using the jalapeno or habanero pepper, cut it down the middle and remove the membrane and seeds. That's is where all of the heat are in the peppers. Be sure to wear gloves during this process or you will kick yourself later. Finely chop the peppers and add it with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl Chill the dip for about a hour to allow the flavors to meld together before serving.

A couple of things to note about this dip. After making the dip for the first time, you may want to tweak this recipe to suit your taste buds a little more. First, if you don't like a real salty dip or if you're serving this with a salty cracker, I recommend cutting the garlic salt to about half a teaspoon but then adding about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. The amount of mayonnaise can also be tweaked depending on how "dippable" you would like it. The more mayonnaise the more it resembles a dip. Right now, it's a little chunkier and could easily be called a spread as well.

That does it for this rather long post on three of my favorite dips. I hope you guys enjoy and if you try any of these out. I would love it if you let me know how it goes. By the way: Go GIANTS! =)

Happy Dining,

Miss. L

.  Serve with crackers and vegetables.