Category: Dips & Spreads

Crab Dip with a Kick

I don’t like football, so the Super Bowl is not very exciting for me. I’ll go to the party, book in hand, and will read if I can’t convince someone to sit on the sidelines and chat. However, I can’t complain too much, it gave me the perfect excuse to make crab dip again.

I found this recipe late last year and immediately loved it. It is thick with a pound of lump crab meat and freshly grated pepper jack cheese, which gave it just a little bit of a kick. If you don’t like the extra spicy, I’m sure a mozzarella or other melty cheese would work just fine.

Crab Dip with a Kick

Adapted from Paula Deen’s Hot Crab Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat
  • 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 3/4 c. mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan, divided
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice
  • 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
  3. Pour into an oven-safe bowl, sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. Parmesan, and cook for 40 minutes, until hot throughout and slightly browned on top.

Serve hot with fresh bread, crackers, or tortilla chips

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

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Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I love spinach and artichoke dip, but I have never make it very often. I had a hard time finding a recipe that lived up to what I would get at a restaurant. With a little bit trial and error, I’ve made Alton Brown‘s into something that my family and I both love. It’s now something I’m making probably much too often – I made it three times within a month, and will probably continue to make it regularly since I can make it ahead and freeze until needed. The original Alton Brown recipe calls for a cup of spinach and a cup and a half of artichokes. Those seemed weird measurements since both are sold in 10 ounce boxes. I never measured the spinach, but in my version below, you’ll end up with a little over 2 cups of artichokes. I also increased the amount of Parmesan and red pepper flakes suggested, since the original version was a little bland. As I make this, I stir together all the ingredients and then microwave a small spoonful of the mixture, so that I can make any adjustments needed. Then I bake. (Sorry Alton, baking everything for 20 minutes is way easier than boiling the veggies and microwaving the cream cheese.) How easy is that?

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1-10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and drained until all water is removed*
  • 1-10 oz. box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature or slightly softened
  • 1/4 c. sour cream
  • 1/4 c. mayonnaise
  • 2/3 c. grated Parmesan
  • 1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes (I like a full teaspoon, but if you’re sensitive to spicy food, start at a 1/2 tsp. and taste before adding more)
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

*Tip: I’ve found that the easiest way of removing all the water from frozen spinach is to line a colander or strainer with cheesecloth. Run cold water over spinach until completely thawed. Allow spinach to drain in the colander and cheesecloth for a few minutes after completely defrosted. Then, bring ends of cheesecloth together, and twist to seal in spinach. Squeeze or twist out any water remaining in spinach. The cheesecloth will keep you from losing spinach as you’re squeezing out the water.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  3. I like to taste before baking – microwave a small spoonful in a bowl until hot. Taste and add more Parmesan, red pepper flakes, or anything else, to taste.
  4. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish and bake for 20 minutes, until hot throughout. If desired, transfer to a mini crock pot to keep warm. Serve hot.

Serve with crackers or fresh bread. Or, serve in mini phyllo cups, for a super special presentation.

Make Ahead & Freeze:  The mixture can be frozen once combined. Transfer to a freezer-safe dish, wrap so that it’s air-tight, and freeze until you need it. Can be baked straight from freezer or defrosted. Frozen dip will probably take 30-45 minutes to warm through, but check periodically.

Crack Dip

This would have been a great recipe to post a couple of weeks ago for Superbowl, but I’m a bit slow in blog updates (couple of tough weeks at work and getting over my annual winter cold). I have seen recipes for Buffalo Chicken Dip, aka Crack Dip, on a lot of different blogs, but hadn’t made it until a few weeks ago. This dip tastes exactly like buffalo chicken wings – a bit spicy with the cool taste of blue cheese mixed in – but without the hassle of eating wings (so messy and annoying to pick the meat off the little bones).

Note that several other blogs call for cheddar, mozzarella, or other cheese. Frank’s calls for blue cheese inside the dip and mozzarella on top. Do whatever you prefer or have on hand.

Buffalo Chicken Dip (aka Crack Dip)

Heavily adapted from Frank’s Hot Sauce

Yields 4 Cups

Ingredients:

  • 1-8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 c. blue cheese salad dressing
  • 1/2 c. hot sauce
  • 1/4 c. minced celery
  • 3/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or, leftover chicken from roast chicken)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Mix in salad dressing, hot sauce, celery, 1/2 c. of blue cheese, and chicken. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle top with the remaining blue cheese.

Bake 20 minutes, until mixture is warm throughout.

Serve hot – either in the baking dish or transfer to a crock pot. Serve with tortilla chips and/or celery sticks.

Pecan-Date Spread

I found this idea in Fine Cooking (#102, p. 20), in the page on new ways to use seasonal ingredients compliments of editor Lisa Waddle. I was a little doubtful at first and honestly, when I had my first bite, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. The consensus at the part was that although it was sweeter than expected, it was a great spread.

Note: Fine Cooking didn’t list portions, so feel free to use more or less of the below, according to your taste.

Date-Pecan Spread

Inspired by a Lisa Waddle suggestion in Fine Cooking #102

Yields about 1 1/2 cups spread

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 1 1/2 c. chopped dried dates
  • 1/2 – 3/4 c. toasted pecans
  • zest of 1 orange
  • dry sherry

Combine first three ingredients in a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds or so, until the mixture begins to come together.

Gradually add sherry to food processor, pulsing until mixture is combined to desired consistency. Mine was still a bit chunky, but you can also pulse until a smooth paste has been formed.

Serve: with fresh bread as an appetizer. Crackers would also work, but we weren’t impressed with the spread on crostini. This is a great appetizer on its own, or as a compliment to a cheese board (I enjoyed it with brie).

Fine Cooking also suggested adding the spread to a grilled cheese sandwich or turkey panini.