Super Bowl Snacks: Dips!!

Are you ready for the Big Game this weekend?  I have more buy in than normal given the Patriot's are playing. In the end though I don't really care who wins but enjoy watching everyone else's excitement. I also enjoy the food.  Snacks, dips and desserts galore.  Mr. J and I are trying to nail down our menu for Sunday. I am sure it will include at least one dip. Here are some of my favorites.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Super Easy Cheesy Queso Dip

French Onion Dip

Baked Feta

Cheddar Ale Dip

Pizza Dip

Baked Brie

Smoked Salmon Spread

Five Layer Mexican Black Bean Dip

Smoked Salmon Spread #secretrecipclub

If you need a last minute snack for the 4th of July festivities I have just the recipe for you. I picked Sid's Smoked Salmon Spread for July's unveiling of the Secret Recipe Club.

Sid of Sid's Palm Cooking has been blogging for quite some time. She liked to make and share food with others and just thought starting a blog would be fun. She is Danish and has all sorts of Danish recipes. I was intrigued and almost went with the Fransk Vafler (French Waffles) or the Vandbakkelser (Cream Puff loaf) but in the midst of picking my recipe for the Secret Recipe Club I was also thinking about what I wanted to bring to several family gatherings for the 4th of July. 

Through my search of Sid's blog I learned she hosts Tapas night. It was a treasure chest of appetizers and I quick found this smoked salmon dip.  We had fresh dill from the garden and I was so happy to use for this dip.  The ingredient list is not full of unique things but did require a trip to the grocery store; we don't readily keep smoke salmon on hand. It was a quick pick up though on my weekly trip to the store.  

The dip comes together so quickly.  Sid used a stand mixer but I ended up throwing all of the ingredients into our blender. About a minute of pulsing led to a done dip.  I enjoyed it with Triscuits but my husband said Ritz crackers were the way to go.  We ran out without leftovers but I can imagine this would be fantastic in the morning on a bagel.  

Smoked Salmon Dip

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: blender appetizer snack cheese salmon

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Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 8 ounce package Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh minced dill
• 1 teaspoon prepared Horseradish, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 ounces Smoked Salmon, minced

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined, about 1 minute. Scraping the sides once.

Chill for at least an hour before serving with raw veggies or crackers.

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An InLinkz Link-up

French Onion Dip

The past several weekends have been about football. Is it just me or does football season go on forever.  In fact I kind of think there should be a rule about having multiple sports with overlapping seasons.  Can you tell I am not really a sports fan?

I do however like snack foods. I am not a big snacker on my own. I just wait till the next meal if I get hungry.  However if there is any kind of event or reason to snack let's say sporting events, well I am all in. In Miami we had caramelized onion dip at Michael's Genuine Food and Drink and I have been thinking about it ever since. 

Well with Mr. J on the couch for football I figured I could whip us up some dip.  You have to be patient with the onions. To get them nice and caramelized don't rush the cooking process. It really does take about 20 minutes to get them nice and soft and browned.  The rest of the dip comes together pretty fast. 

Now I will say the dip is better the next day after the flavors have sat a bit together but that didn't stop us from enjoying it right after it was done. We munched on potato chips but of course you could go the more healthy route and use veggies. 

French Onion Dip

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients (Makes 2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 1 1/2 cups diced onions
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 oz packaged cream cheese, room temperature and softened
• 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

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Super Easy Cheesy Queso Dip

Super easy, cheesy queso dip. Sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next Game Day party.  

Some could say that I am a day behind with my game day food post. I would like to think I am a week ahead. I am giving you 6 days to go out and have everything on hand for this yummy queso dip.  Of course, this recipe is super simple and you probably have all of the ingredients already.  

If fact I might even suggest you doing a trial run before Sunday rolls around. I tried this out and ended up eating the whole bowl for lunch.  

I try to eat fairly healthy from real foods although I do enjoy an occasional boxed mix dessert or canned soup now and then.  However there are some things I just cannot do. One of which is Velveeta cheese. That stuff really grosses me out. I always get a bit sad when I see a recipe that looks super yummy only to realize one of the key ingredients is Velveeta. 

Now I cannot officially say this is a true Velveeta replacement since I don't really know what that stuff actually tastes like although Mr. J is convinced it does.  What I do know is this cheese sauce is super good.  I gobbled up the first serving so fast I had to get more before Mr. J can down to try it out for himself. 

If Nachos aren't your things, hot dogs and broccoli could be just the base for this cheesy sauce. 

Super Easy Cheesy Queso Dip

by Emily Morris, 

Adapted from Cooking Light October 2014

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 Tbsp salsa or hot sauce, your favorite brand

Instructions

In a medium sauce pan mix together shredded cheese and cornstarch.

Turn stove top to medium and add the evaporated milk. Using a rubber spatula or whisk stir constantly until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Add in salsa and combined.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Optional: If you don't want to have queso dip omit the salsa and use the plain cheese sauce for a hot dog topping or for broccoli.

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Super Bowl WIAW and Five Layer Mexican Black Bean Dip

I hate that I go to bed early.  Last night I was looking forward to Smash.  It was the season premier.  I was excited. You would think that being excited would lead me to know exactly when this show was going to start.  Nope.  I had no idea until almost 8pm which is when I assumed it was going to be starting.  It actually started at 9pm which is when I typically go to bed.  Thus, no show for me.  It was scheduled for 2 hours and there was no way I was staying up till 11.

OK now that I have that off my chest.  On to my eats for Super Bowl Sunday.  Mr. J decided we should have egg sandwiches for breakfast. I have been going to the gym right at 7 on weekend mornings which means I can go and come back for a joint breakfast. A fried egg with cheese on a English muffin.  OJ and sparkling water mixed drink.

Our big activity for the weekend was a TV purchase.  Both TVs we had are over 10 years old. The big boxed version.  We have been thinking of upgrading for a while but it is hard to get rid of something that works perfectly fine. 

We picked this up and Mr. J was able to set it all up in about 30 minutes. I was impressed. The new TV meant we could now use our new TV stand I got right after Christmas on sale.  The TV was for Mr. J. The stand was for me.  Everyone was happy.

This dip was also for me. It was from a Ellie Krieger recipe I used a few years ago for a potluck.  It was delicious.

The other dish we made was chicken wings so it was good to know this dip is healthy.  I tried to fill up on this as much as possible.  Not hard to do when it tastes so good. I alone ate half of this.  Probably not so healthy when you devour the whole thing.

Five Layer Mexican Dip

by Emily Morris, Adapted by Ellie Krieger

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Keywords: saute blender appetizer black beans Mexican

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Ingredients (serves 12)

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Instructions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.

I hate that I go to bed early. In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with baked chips.

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Mr. J got chicken wings.  He made a super good sauce - one of his best yet.  Thank goodness too since chicken prices seemed to have increased quite a bit.

Although we only used one habenero pepper the sauce was still hot enough to numb my lips.  I guess that is a sign for a good wing sauce. 

Super Bowl Eats

I am not a huge Super Bowl fan.  The Patriots didn't make it so I am kind of out of the ball game. Even the commercials don't get me going.  

I can and will get excited for any event that means food and celebration.   Besides brothers are involved this year.  It could be interesting. 

The other day Mr. J request chicken wings (my job with this is only to get raw wings), 7 Layer Bean Dip, and brownies (we are going with peanut butter swirl).  Enough food for two people?  I think so.  I might have to throw in some broccoli. 

For other Super Bowl Eats check out:

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Baked Feta

Cheddar Ale Dip

Pizza Dip
Baked Brie

Crescent Roll Pinwheels
Jalapeno Popper Pockets 

 Hot Wings

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Saturday and Sunday were perfect fall days.  It was bright sunny outside.  The leaves were all shades of reds, oranges, and yellows.  Beautiful!

I kept thinking that this would be time for a family football game in the backyard.  This plan had some flaws.  We don't have a backyard.  Both our families live very far away.  I don't even think we own a football.

Instead we got some ice cream.  Apparently while in Alaska Mr. J started craving ice cream.  You know it is perfectly normal to have ice cream craving while traveling in locations where the high for the day is 20 degrees.

After ice cream I made dip.  I figured dip could be consumed while watching football on TV.  Almost the same thing.  I didn't really watch any football.

This would also be the most perfect dip for any holiday celebration in the coming months.  It can easily be made ahead of time and put in the oven right before the guest arrive. 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake appetizer spinach

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Ingredients (serves 12)

• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1½ cups (6 ounces) finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• Paprika, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Press the excess moisture from the spinach.

2. Combine the artichokes, spinach, 1¼ cups of Parmesan cheese, 1¼ cups of Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic in a bowl and mix well.

3. Spoon the artichoke mixture into a 1½-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses on top, and then sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla or pita chips, crackers or vegetables.

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Baked Feta Deliciousness

I cannot believe another month has passed. September has come and gone way too fast.  The end of the month means that it is time to post September's Secret Recipe Club reveal.

For September I had The Spiffy Cookie.  Now you know my love of cookies so I was all excited when I got Erin. I have actually been reading The Spiffy Cookie for a while. I knew I was in for a treat. She whips up some mean recipes. She is also a smarty pants who is currently working to earn her PhD in Biomedical Sciences.  Biomedical Sciences just scares me; I never enjoyed science.

I had a pretty hard time picking which recipe to make. I could have made these doughnuts or these cookies.  The fact of the matter is when I was looking to pick a recipe. I was home by myself and in the mood for cheese.  The Baked Crazy Feta recipe jumped out at me.

I pretty much ran to the store to pick up the feta.  Came home and made this for lunch.  I eat weird things for meals when left to my own devises. 

Of course, I threw on some tomatoes for a bit of healthiness.  The only thing I changed was to add two extra jalapenos.  I made this in the toaster oven.  Twenty minutes later I was in feta heaven.  Mr. J had the leftovers reheated and he loved it as well. This would a great recipe to share if you can wait long enough till a sharing occasion presents itself.

Baked Crazy Feta Dip

by The Spiffy Cookie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 8 oz feta cheese
• 3 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest and juice of a quarter of a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh Mozzarella, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 16 oz casserole dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, crumble the feta. Add diced jalapeno, the lemon zest and juice and garlic. Add olive oil and mash with a fork. Taste the feta and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to prepared baking dish. Top with Mozzarella and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Serve with pita or tortilla chips. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.

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Pizza Dip

I am finally back from Michigan.  I am happy to be home. I am not so much in the mood to be cooking though.  Shhh...and don't tell Mr. J.  He will be all the ready to go out and nix my quinoa bowl with roasted veggies idea for dinner. 

Another dip I made for the office birthday celebration was pizza dip. This one wasn't super special.  Think cheese pizza. After all I was trying to please 45 different tastes.

I like it this way though the best.  Lots of cheese and some sauce.  Served with tortilla chips.

If you want to jazz it up a bit think pepperonis and olives.

Pizza Dip

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup pizza sauce

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.

Spread mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate, or a shallow microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over all.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover, and microwave for 5 minutes or bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot with baguette slices, tortilla chips, or Fritos scoops.

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