Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

We actually had time to sit down and enjoy an afternoon dip during the football games this weekend.

I gave a whole list of dips to Brent to sort through and this is the one he picked for me to make.

This dip turned out great!  I served it with carrots, crackers, and pretzels.....but we all liked dipping with the pretzels the best!

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (about 8 tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper
• 10 dashes hot red pepper sauce
• 2 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, black pepper and hot sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth, about 20 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the green onions and pulse twice to evenly distribute them. Serve with your favorite crackers, carrots or pretzels. The dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Remove and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

This weekend's college football dip recipe was this baked potato dip.  I named off several dip recipes and Brent said "oh, that one sounds good"...so I made it.  You can serve it with potato chips or pretzels.....definitely go with the chips and make sure they are thick potato chips because the dip is thick.

This dip will last a few days...it made a large batch!

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 (12-ounce) package bacon, cooked and finely chopped
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to meld together. Garnish with extra shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped green onions. Serve with your favorite potato chips or pretzel crisps.

Reuben Dip

As I've mentioned before, each Sunday during football season I serve a different chili recipe.  It's been a fun tradition over the years that we always look forward to.

This year, since we have Sunday NFL football covered with chili, I kept thinking I wanted to serve something for Saturday College football too.  That's when I decided I would serve a different DIP on Saturdays to enjoy during the college football games.  

I have pinned multiple dip recipes on Pinterest, and this week we started with Reuben Dip.

Excellent!

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

4 ounces deli sliced corned beef, chopped

½ cup Thousand Island dressing

½ cup drained sauerkraut

DIRECTIONS:

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 pretzel crisps or cocktail-size rye bread squares.

 *This dip was really good.  In the future, Brent said he would prefer less cream cheese and more corned beef, though.  And that can easily be done!*

Summer Corn, Avocado, and Black Bean Salad

I've mentioned before how much I love a cold summer salad to snack on during the days.

This one is no exception.  I've been eating this salad off tortilla chips all week!

photo and recipe courtesy of ProduceOnParade

Ingredients

Veggies:
1 3/4 cup thawed frozen or fresh sweet corn
40 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 avocados, diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (use the stems too!)

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (or 2 limes)
1-2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

Prep all the veggie ingredients and add them to a large serving bowl. Toss well to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the veggies. Toss gently to coat evenly and let rest about 10 minutes.

Store in the fridge and serve alone, with chips, or in a pita!

I was totally stoked about this recipe because I could finally use my herbs I've been growing outside.

I've got a pot of basil, cilantro, and mint (for mojitos)

I was able to utilize my cilantro for this salad which made me so happy!

 

St. Patrick's Day Fresh Herb Dip

Saint Patrick’s Day Fresh Herb Dip

Prep: 15 minutes

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) container light sour cream or reduced-fat Greek yogurt
1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Fresh vegetables, crackers

Preparation
1. Combine all ingredients in a container of a food processor; pulse until combined. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Serve with fresh vegetables or crackers.

Some Fun Facts About St. Patrick's Day

1. Saint Patrick’s Day is actually an international holiday always celebrated on March 17th. It started as a Christian holiday but has become a secular celebration of Ireland’s culture.

2. Believe it or not, the color of St. Patrick was not actually green, but blue. In the 19th century, however, green came to be used as a symbol for Ireland.

3. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14.

4. One estimate suggests that there are 10,000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.

5. A fun Irish toast: “May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.”

Courtesy of Make and Takes