Hot Bean Dip

This has fast become one of our favorite dips. Simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand and simple to throw together. Wisconsin nights are becoming quite cold again. My oven is being used more often and comfort foods are making it back into my menu. 

We have this dip often when watching t.v.or for game nights. The smaller portion is perfect for the two of us. If you are looking at serving this to a larger group, double the recipe and use a 9 x 13 inch pan. It won't last long!

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can refried beans
1 small jar salsa
1 1/2 cups medium cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Spray 9 inch baking dish. Spread softened cream cheese evenly on bottom of dish. Spread refried beans evenly over the cream cheese. Pour just enough salsa over the beans to lightly cover them. 

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until edges begin to bubble. Remove from oven and spread the cheese over the top evenly. 

Place back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Jalapeno Ranch Dip

A cool, refreshing summer dip that will help you get in your servings of vegetables also. Packed full of flavor and smooth despite the addition of jalapeno. The seeds of a jalapeno are really what make it hot, so make sure to seed yours well. 


Mix up and add your favorite veggies. Great for a crowd!


Ingredients:
1 packet dry ranch dressing
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2 tomatillos
1 jalapeno, seeded
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 TBLS. lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced


In a medium sized bowl, combine ranch packet, mayo, sour cream and milk until well blended and smooth.


In a blender, combine tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and garlic. Pulse in short spurts until veggies are finely distributed. 


Add two mixtures together, blending them well. Chill for a couple of hours before serving with your favorite vegetables.

Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip

There are many recipes out there for artichoke dip. This is one of my favorites for the warm version. I love the chilled version too and hope to post my recipe for that soon, now that summer and all it's fun activities are here. This is a big hit, even for those who turn up their nose at the words "spinach" and "artichoke". 


You can serve this warmed right out of the oven or at room temperature. I usually pair it with crackers or tortilla chips and it's gone before it even cools down.


Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped spinach
2 cans/jars non-marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
garlic salt
chili powder
handful of shredded mozzarella cheese


Warm cream cheese in microwave for 2 minutes with your microwave setting at 50%.


Mix all ingredients (including warmed cream cheese) together well in a large bowl. 


Put in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and top with additional shredded mozzarella.


Broil until top starts to turn brown. 

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a variation from a variation from a recipe I saw floating around Pinterest. I had forgotten about a potluck we put together at work. I made this last minute the morning of said potluck having no idea it would turn out to be such a hit. Co-workers asked for the recipe and have mentioned it since (many times) that they were making it...again. 


This goes a long way. You can bring the hot factor up or down depending on your tastes. I used Red Hot sauce and thought it perfect. 


Ingredients:
5 oz. hot sauce of your choice (I used Frank's Red Hot sauce)
2 pkg. cream cheese
8 oz. Ranch dressing
2 - 10 oz. cans chicken, drained well
medium cheddar cheese, shredded


Melt hot sauce, cream cheese and ranch dressing either over the stove top or in your microwave, stirring frequently. About half way through, throw in a large handful of shredded cheese.


Stir in chicken, mixing well.


Pour into crockpot. If desired, add some more shredded cheese on top. 


Serve with chips, crackers or veggies. Celery and cauliflower work great!


Can be kept on warm for 4 - 6 hours.

Spicy Sausage & Salsa Crockpot Dip

Good morning, friends! Hope everyone's Monday is going well so far.

I can't take any credit for this completely awesome (and easy) dip. A co-worker of John's makes it often and he was kind enough to share the recipe with me. It is so delicious! You can make it as mild or spicy as you like. We like it somewhere in the middle. 

You can make is quite spicy by using hot sausage and cayenne pepper or very mild by using original sausage and no pepper whatsoever. My version is somewhere in between so pick your flavor.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean's)

1 package Velveeta cheese

1 jar salsa (I use salsa from the ethnic section in the grocery store)

1 small can of green chiles, drained

cayenne pepper

Brown pork sausage and drain. Add sausage to crockpot. Dice up Velveeta cheese and add to the sausage in the crockpot. Pour entire jar of salsa and drained can of chiles over the top of sausage and cheese. Sprinkle entire top with desired amount of cayenne pepper.  Mix well.

Heat in crockpot on lowest setting, stirring occasionally until Velveeta cheese is completely melted. Serve with your choice of chips. Tortilla or corn chips are really best with this but I like Doritos so I used those.

You can also make this the night before and refrigerate. After following directions above, remove crockpot bowl and allow to cool down before refrigerating.  Remove from refrigerator and allow to warm on the counter a bit before heating on lowest setting of crockpot the next day. 

Chili Salsa Cheese Dip

It really doesn't get much easier than this when it comes to dips. Quick, easy and a crowd pleaser too! Just the right consistency, not so thick that you break off your chips (I just hate that, don't you?) but smooth enough that veggies would be a great sidekick in place of chips.

Ingredients:

1 lb (16 oz) Velveeta cheese, cut in small cubes

1 cup of your favorite salsa

2 cans of chili, without beans

Mix ingredients in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is completely melted, stirring after a few minutes.

Serve warm with chips or veggies.

*Put in slow cooker on low to keep warm.

See how easy that was?

Homemade Onion Dip

recipe from foodnetwork.com

Work is seriously trying to kick my butt this week. This is definitely one of those days I am glad to have a backlog of recipes waiting to be blogged. 

Creamy sweet onion dip. Yum! Chips, crackers or fresh veggies all would work well with this too. 

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. olive oil

1 1/2 cups diced onions

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3/4 cups mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a saute pan over medium heat, add oil. Heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized (average 20 minutes, onions should be soft, caramel in color and sweet to the taste). 

Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl and then add the cooled onions.

Refrigerate until chilled. Stir before serving.   

Chili Cheese Crockpot Dip

I love the convenience of crockpot dips. Throw a few ingredients in the crockpot, turn on low and stir. What's not to love? John and I spend many nights after Spencer has gone to bed on our computers, side by side, sharing some sort of snack. On nights where we have had a lighter dinner, a dip like this is one of our favorites.


Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese
2 (15 oz.) cans of chili, (with/without beans)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use medium cheddar)
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
tortilla chips


Layer cream cheese and chili in crockpot. Turn on low. Depending on whether or not you have softened your cream cheese, warm 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. When cream cheese and chili are at least half melted/warmed together, add shredded cheese again stirring occasionally. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to your taste, spicing it up or keeping it more mild.


When all ingredients are mixed and warmed thoroughly, serve with chips.


Great for get togethers or game day too. This can be left on low in the crockpot most of the day, just make sure to keep the cover on and to stir it occasionally. Can also reheat it in the crockpot on low, stovetop or in the microwave.

Beer Cheese Dip

 recipe from tidymom.net

We don't watch any type of sports here. At all. Just not our thing but we will gladly partake in all the "game" day appetizers rolling around the net, especially any sort of dip. 

I have to admit, I found this dip very tart. It may be because I ,um, don't like beer? It doesn't taste like beer, yet that may be the factor in why it is so tart and not to my liking. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest, along with rave reviews so I thought that even though it isn't to my taste, it may be to yours?

If you do make it or already have, I would appreciate your feedback on it.

Ingredients:

2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup beer

1 envelope Ranch Dressing mix

2 cups shredded cheddar mix

Beat cream cheese, beer and ranch dressing until well blended with hand mixer. Stir in cheddar cheese by hand. Chill and serve with pretzels, chips or veggies.

*if dip is too thick, add a little beer to thin it down

Taco Dip

I have taken this dip to many gatherings over the years and it never fails me. I rarely come home with any left! It's great for movie and game night too.


Ingredients:


1 can refried beans
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
1 pkg, dry taco seasoning mix
1 jar taco sauce, medium
1 jar taco sauce, hot
1 (8 oz) brick of medium cheddar cheese
lettuce
tomatoes


Spread can of refried beans evenly on bottom of 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pan or casserole dish.


In small bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and sour cream until well blended, add taco seasoning mix and stir well. 


Add taco sauce, medium, in small doses until mixture becomes creamy. (There is nothing worse than breaking off chips in a dip, so your goal is to soften it just enough that the chips won't break, but you don't want the mixture to become runny.) Add small doses of taco sauce, hot, to your liking. If you don't prefer spicy, skip this step. We love spicy! Taste test it as you go along to get it just right. Spread mixture evenly across refried beans.


Grate cheddar cheese and spread evenly on top of cream cheese/sour cream layer. Lightly press cheese into cream cheese/sour cream layer with the bottom of a spoon. (This will help keep the cheese in place when scooping it up with chips.) I can't stress enough how much better this will taste if you grate your own cheese instead of using prepackaged shredded.


Chop desired amount of lettuce and spread evenly over cheese layer.


Dice desired amount of tomatoes; sprinkle on lettuce.


Chill minimum of 2 hours before serving. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.


A lot of potential to customize this to your tastes. If you don't care for refried beans, just skip that step and it will still taste delicious. Also adding onions or scallions as a topping or black olives. We have even used Paint Thinner (spice) to really kick up the hotness factor.  Enjoy!

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip

Super easy and full of flavor, this is a great appetizer or snack to start off the new school year with. Taking only a few minutes to make and a little time to chill, it's one of those recipes I am grateful for when the hours in the day seem to have flown by and I need something fast and delicious!


Ingredients:
1 pkg. (1 oz.) ranch dip
1 pint sour cream
1/4 bacon bits
1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese


Combine ranch dip with sour cream. Add bacon bits and shredded cheese. Mix well. Chill


You can use crackers, chips or fresh vegetables for dipping. Enjoy!