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Favorite Dip and Dippers

With holiday parties coming up, we could all use some new ideas.

What's your #1 hot or cold favorite? How do you make it?

What is the delivery system - bagels, fruit, Doritos, pretzel sticks, raw veggies, fingers (kiddddding)?

47 Comments:

Hummus (plain and flavoured), tahini sauce, aubergine (a couple of salads I've mentioned before work very nicely as dips) - with toasted pita crisps. Guacamole - with fingers, woops, I meant to say, with corn crisps. White bean dip - with bagel crisps. I know that there are many, many more, but my head is not working now...:-(

A mozzarella dip, recipe courtesy of the mother of one o my students, which is far better with vegetables than with chips. It is, however, absolutely sublime with green onions.

Smoked salmon with mayo, cream cheese, onion & garlic powder and chives. Very good with Ritz crackers. Cold.

Mango salsa with tortilla chips.

Hot spinach/artichoke dip in a bread bowl, with chunks of the bread, toasted, for dipping. An old standby, I know, but a good one. But please, please, no water chestnuts.

I like creamy and/or cheesy stuff on cracker or veggies if this is for more than me and DH.

For the two of us, it might be home made salsa or ceviche (okay, not a dip, but we eat it with tortilla chips) or something else spicy. Actually, if we're doing apps or dips, there might be some sort of soft cheese or spread, guacamole, and then the spicy stuff.

I love dipping veggies in the Hidden Valley Ranch packs mixed with sour cream.

Hot Reuben dip with those little party rye breads or rye Melba toast or any rye cracker you can find.

hummus, a spinach dip made with spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, mushrooms, and i forget what else. man is it good. a fruit dip my aunt makes- a little bit of orange peel and liquor mixed with cream cheese and whipped so it's full of air...awesome for fruit.
chocolate fondue! (it counts as a dip, right?)

@zucchini ~ Hot Reuben dip? Care to share the recipe?

Hot crab dip ~ Always a winner, served with crackers or bagel chips
Hoagie dip ~ A Philly thing, served with sliced hoagie rolls
Spinach & artichoke dip ~ Crackers, bread, tortilla chips or bagel chips
Hot Buffalo chicken dip ~ celery, tortilla chips or crackers
Hot cheese dip ~ sliced baguette or crackers

I have to second the hoagie dip, it really is amazing

dill dip with pumpernickle bread or veggies
taco dip ~ refried beans, sour cream, taco seasoning, lettuce, cheese, jalapenos
def. artichoke dip and DEF. buffalo chicken dip...i have to pull myself away from that every time i see it...

How about an extra spicy horseradishy cocktail sauce with extra jumbo shrimp?

And here's a great tip for all of you out there who have a Costco's near you: Buy the big bottle of the Raspberry Chipotle sauce (I forget the trade name, but I believe the wrapper on the bottle is dark green...the sauce is deep purple-rasperryish) and then all you do is get a bar of Philly cream cheese (MUST be Philly) and put it on a plate and then pour this luscious tangy-spicy-sweet raspberry chipotle sauce over the top of it, and then serve with Stone Ground Wheat Thins. It's DE-LISH!

It's a childhood comfort food thing, but broccoli and cauliflower and celery with the Hidden Valley Ranch powdered dip mix in sour cream.

Now, when my inner child isn't screaming I prefer a hot spinach artichoke dip (or even just the artichokes, no spinach) made with parmesan and/or goat cheese with baguette slices for dipping OR a cheese fondue with bread and veggies. (usually I do a cheddar cheese and use either hard cider or beer instead of wine)

My family tradition is celery stuffed with a 50/50 mix of bleu cheese and cream cheese. It doesn't involve dipping, but oh my is it good. (My great-grandfather started this for us in the early 1900s, so when the whole "it's what goes with Buffalo Wings" thing came along, I was thrilled.) We serve it as part of a "Relish Tray" with radishes, black and green olives, sweet gherkins, and cocktail onions.

Also good is a cranberry chutney with oranges and walnuts over room temperature brie with baguette slices and/or water crackers. (I do have a recipe if you'd like it)

My stepmother makes this awful stuff that tastes far better than it should with instant pudding, cream cheese, and canned fruit cocktail - I keep thinking that there's got to be a way to make something similar with slightly less...shelf stable ingredients. She serves it with 'nilla Wafers and graham crackers. (machellebelle's suggestion of orange peel and liqueur sounds quite good - recipe???)

My husbands family always begs me to make this one ranch dip, using the dry package of ranch seasoning, add sour cream, bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese and I always add chili powder or some additional spice to give it a kick.

I can barely stand to make it anymore as it's started to turn my stomach.

After reading the other replies, I'm shocked that I've never heard of this "hoagie dip" before now!

There's also a "Cincinnati Chili Dip" that I've made a couple of times that people enjoy.

I'm just not much of a dip person. Although I have been called a dip before. :-P

I had amazing indonesian chicken skewers dipped in peanut sauce at a wedding last week, yum!

I love just about any dip....in fact to me the dippers are just an instrument for the dip....fingers work too! lol
My favs are baked onion dip - real easy...chop an onion, mix w/ 4 oz cream cheese, 1/2 c mayo, 1/4 c parmesan cheese, garlic powder - put in baking dish & bake for about 30 min @ 375 degrees...serve w/Triscuits....very addicting!
I also love pizza dip, spinach dip, buffalo wing dip......
Stacey's Naked pita chips are great dippers.
When I'm particularly lazy a container of Bison french onion dip & Ruffles work good too!

For those who included recipes or instructions - much appreciated.

@izatryt ~ Hoagie dip? New to me and don't I feel left out! Details, please?

My nieces always insist I make a taco dip. Basically taco seasoned sour cream, topped with salsa, topped with shredded cheese. Those corn tortilla scoopers work great for dipping. You can go hog wild with this and add meat and shredded lettuce, hot sauce - anything you'd add to a taco. I never come home with even a forkful left in the dish.

The one dip that eveyone scarfs up is the onion Sour Cream dip made with caramelized onions. Alton Brown and Ina Garden both have a recipe for it. My personal favorite is Martha Stewart's hot crab dip, sublime, but expensive. I will make this a couple of times during the holidays.

Clam dip, and a spoon works nicely... pita chips if a spoon isn't in sight.

Hoagie Dip:

1/2 pound deli ham, small cubes
1/2 pound Genoa salami, small cubes
1/2 pound American (or provolone), small cubes
1 small head lettuce, shredded
3 tomatoes, diced
1 small or medium onion, finely diced (I don't like a ton of onion)
1 1/2 cups mayo
2 Tbsp oregano
Hoagie rolls or baguettes

Mix everything together and chill for 30 minutes max. If you need to make it ahead, don't add the lettuce and tomatoes until you are ready to serve.

My aunt always serves hummus, baba ghanouj and an eggplant dip (similarly to the first commenter) with our challah bread. One time she also served harissa, a spicy chili pepper mix and it was hands down my favorite.

I'm a huge fan of spinach and artichoke dips, and I also love the baked goat cheese with tomato sauce dip at tapas restaurants to spread on crostini.

Hillary
Chew on That

-I love to dip my spicy chicken (buffalo fingers, hot wings) in ranch for sure, (southern_bella: I will put some shredded cheese in here! sounds good!)
-I really like Hummus and Flatbread,
-I love a mixture of curry ketchup and mayo for my fries,
-I dip my crab cakes in a home-made aoli with mayo, garlic, old bay seasoning, fresh dill, diced scallions and cracked pepper,
-I dip pumpernickel in spinach dip
-I dip my nachos in extra hot salsa
- I don't dip my potato chips in anything (I like them just salted)

I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but I hate it when people ruin perfectly good anything by dipping it in KETCHUP.

@izatryt ~ thanks, but it sounds sacrilegious. Mayo on a hoagie? I like the general idea of combining everything that would go into a hoagie or taco or favorite ___ salad sandwich and making it a dip. I might work on that for a new dip. Thinking egg salad with BLT might make a nice dip, or ham salad. Wow, I'm smokin' hot! Call 911.

Yo Perk ~ I don't eat it. I don't eat hoagies either. So it shouldn't be a surprise That I didn't know about the mayo "rule" ;-D

btw: they already have ham salad.

@hungry ~ Even Fries??????

Spinach-artichoke dip is fun, even for those who swear they don't like artichokes. My OH is such a one, and he ate almost 1/3 of mine while we were out at lunch the other day! (It was my lunch.)

@hungry - it's a dip that's on the back of their seasoning packet, but here's a link. Ugh...ranch dip

Forgot to mention, hot and salty and crispy tortillas or warm pita are the best delivery devices for spinach artichoke dip.

baked sweet potato fries with garlic aioli

this isn't EXACTLY a dip but a baked brie round with raspberry jam and almonds. scoop out the gooey mixture with baguette slices or crackers.

izaryt:

Hot Reuben Dip

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 T mayonnaise
2 T Thousand Island dressing*
1 T ketchup*
1 T Dijon mustard
2 t finely minced onion *
1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (bag, not can)
1/2 pound, or more, deli corned beef, chopped fine (go for more)
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 in ungreased 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 or two
2-cup ramekins, covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes or until bubbly and browning.

Serve with rye crackers, rye Melba toasts, or party rye slices.

Notes: I use Heize chili sauce in place of Thousand Island and ketchup.
I also use lots more minced onion, up to 1/3 cup.
This is best hot out of the oven, so I do two ramekins, one is baking while the other is served, then switch out.
I've tried it with leftover corned beef, but the deli corned beef is better, for some reason. I have them whack off a chunk 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound and shred in the food processor. Just my experience.

Thanks zucchini!

Clam Dip with Wine Crackers mmmmm so good!

As much as I love trying new things, I have a list of "no brainers" I can throw together in what seems like 30 seconds or less. Salsa, Hummus and Tzatziki nearly always make their way to my table when I'm expecting a crowd.

I also do a sun dried tomato spread in which you might be interested.

Rehydrate SD tom in water, then shock in cold water.
Toss garlic cloves into FP and pulverize till all the garlic is stuck to the sides of the FP.
Wash and spin one entire bunch of fresh basil - about 2 cups if loosely packed.
Add the basil to the FP and pulse to chop.
Add and grind the SD tom in the FP, while pouring in EV Olive Oil until a pasty consistency is achieved. (This may mean getting the paste to happen, then walking away from the processor while it's running.)
Add in a splash of red wine vinegar and a sprinkling of oregano.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

I generally reserve a tomato or two/three for garnish, and a couple of basil leaves. Scrape the dip into a nice serving bowl, swirl the top, garnish and drizzle EV Olive Oil over top. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

@ - izatryt - good point; partially retracted :)
Though things can be ruined with the stuff. I've seen people put it on their corn-on-the-cob, pizza, steak...foods like that. I might have it on my eggs if I'm hungover :p

I make an awesome chicken fajita dip that I serve with tortilla chips and is devoured so fast I don't know if anyone even chewed!!

I may have to try some of these suggestions for dinner!

@Leo1881, can you share your recipe for the chicken fajita dip?

Keep 'em coming - I know I'm going to print this out when I need to come up with something different during the holidays. This is just fantastic!

For a cold dip, I still enjoy the onion soup mix, sour cream, and bacon bits dip that my mom used to make...though I often make a bit fancier version where i caramelize my own onions and add some roasted garlic as well as some wasabi powder and approximately 20% mayonnaise for some richness. I've experimented with making my own bacon pieces...but I actually prefer the little red storebought ones. I generally eat this on corn chips.

For a hot dip, my current favorite is to shred some roasted chicken and place it in a dutch oven or casserole dish with black beans, salsa verde, monterrey jack and cream cheese...bake this in the oven till melted, then top with more monterrey jack. Serve with fresh sliced jalapenos, limes, cilantro and tortilla chips or crackers.

Speaking of Brie, our favorite holiday dip is warm brie with apples:
Mix:

1/2 cup of Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
3 tablespoons of whiskey
(you can eyeball these amounts- you dont want the end product to be too dry or too liquidy). Set aside.

Cut the rind off two wedges of brie (wedges melt better and faster than a wheel) and place on a microwave safe plate. Heat in the microwave for aproximately two minutes, or until cheese is soft but holding its shape. Top with sugar mixture and heat again until you've reached melty goodness. Serve with apple wedges and town house crackers. The sugar mix can be made a few days in advance, and the final product can be stored in the fridge and reheated indefinitely, though left overs are extremely rare!

@Izzy: LOVE IT!! My mom used to make Hoagie/Sub dip. Yummy on broken up rolls or crackers or wheat thins or bagel chips. So good. Haven't had it in forever. You are making me want some. Now, if you wouldn't mind sharing: crab dip and cheese dip. I'd be forever grateful. :)

@Mepolo: This may be a stupid question but what is Pizza Dip?

Personally I like Taco/Salsa dip (whenever I make it-no leftovers), 7 layer dip, Crab dip, Spinach and Artichoke dip, Guacamole, Ranch (for veggies-and pizza sometimes), and Buffalo Chicken Dip. I don't care what you want to serve with Dips-I'll eat it. I'm a dip person. :D

Hoagie dip sounds good-I think I'll try it for my next 'bring an appetizer' gathering. My husband loves a dip made from Hormel chili (no beans) and cream cheese. Heat both together and serve with corn chips. Sounds disgusting, but it's actually pretty tasty. One of my ultimate comfort junk foods is the classic onion dip made with Lipton soup mix and sour cream. Give me that, a bag of Ruffles, and a rainy afternoon in front of the tv and I'm in heaven.

give me some freshly made guacamole...the kind that is almost 100% fresh avocado.

mmm.

I made Paula Deen's BLT dip last night with a few changes to the recipe.
It was delicious with garlic bagel chips.

I forgot to mention it's listed as "BLT appetizer" on the FN site.

@butrflygirly - Pizza dip is so easy...I made it for the first football game of the season, everyone loved it. I may have gotten the recipe from Allrecipes.
8 oz cream cheese mixed w/ 1/4 t ea. oregano, parsley & basil
- spread that into the bottom of a pie plate
- top w/ 1/2 c. shredded mozz cheese & grated parmesan cheese
1 c. pizza sauce - spread over cheese
I topped mine w/crumbled italian sausage that I precooked, chopped bell peppers & onions.....you could put whatever pizza toppings you like on it from there.
Top w/ 1/2 c ea mozz & parmesan cheese.
Bake @ 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, until everything is hot & gooey!
You could also nuke it, but I like baking it to get the cheese browned a bit...like baking a pizza.
Great served w/baguette slices

I love taco dip, especially this version:

2 bricks cream cheese
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
2 cans Hormel no-bean chili
1 can hot Rotel
1-2 cups shredded cheese (whatever)
___________________________________

Melt in a giant pot or crock pot - eat with tortilla chips, faint.


I also love plain old spinach dip on club crackers.

@mepolo: Thanks!! That does sound good. :) And the fact cream cheese is used makes it even better!

@omnomnom - I have that same recipe and haven been making it for years. Sooooo good!! It's my hubby's favorite.

corn dip with frietos scoops

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