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Dips
and Spreads
By Jennifer
Slaugh, staff writer
It's
that time of year again. The leaves are turning orange, the
temperature is dropping, and I've started saying, "It's
beginning to look a lot like Christmas." I know it's
only September, but the fall holiday bug bites me early. The
best part of the autumn season is there are so many reasons
to get together with friends and family. You've got Halloween,
Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year, and don't forget Blueberry
Popsicle Day and National Good Neighbor Day. With all the
parties you are going to host and attend you are going to
need some festive dips and spreads to satisfy the munchies
of your guests.
I took
these dips to a recent Girl's Weekend, and they were a hit.
We all feel better when we are snacking on fruit, veggies,
and breads (instead of candy bars), so dips are a perfect
addition to any get-together. Most dip recipes are simple,
so don't be afraid to try new things or add a few ingredients
that you think would spice things up. Happy munching!
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1
(8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
1 cup whipped cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
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In
a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until
smooth. Serve immediately or chill for later.
Makes 2-1/2 cups.
Recipe
from allrecipes.com.
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MARSHMELLOW
CREME FRUIT DIP |
1
(8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
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In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until
smooth. Serve chilled.
Makes 2-1/2 cups.
Recipe
from allrecipes.com.
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3
(11 oz) cans Mexican-style corn
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
5 green onions, chopped
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
10 oz shredded Cheddar cheese
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In
a medium-size mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
The recipe says it makes 12 servings, but don't worry,
it makes plenty for a party.
Recipe
from allrecipes.com.
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TZADZIKKI
(a Greek cucumber dip) |
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1
pint sour cream, plain yogurt or any combination of
the two
(Really
strong/tart yogurt is good otherwise I would recommend
at least 1/2 sour cream)
1 large cucumber (peeled, grated and squeezed to remove
most of the juice)
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic (crushed)
3-5 tablespoons vinegar (I
prefer red wine vinegar, but any kind will do in a
pinch)
1 tablespoon (or less) salt
1 teaspoon (or less) pepper
Combine all ingredients, stirring well, refrigerate
6-12 hours before serving. Wonderful served with French
bread cubes.
Recipe
submitted by Jed, North Ogden. |
1
pkg. frozen spinach, cooked, drained well, chopped
1-1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg Knorr's vegetable soup mix
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
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Mix
everything together. Keep cold. Serve in bread bowl.
RC
Note: This dip is very tasty when served with Rye
bread.
RC
Tip: When trying to drain thawed spinach, try this
quick and easy method. Place the spinach in the middle
of a dinner plate. Place another dinner plate of the
same size on top of the spinach. Holding the plates
in both hands over your kitchen since, press the plates
together. This should remove all of the excess water.
Pat dry with a towel if needed.
Recipe
modified version of the one printed on the back of
the Knorr's soup mix box.
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1
cup chopped cooked chicken
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1 - 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon chopped green olives
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 teaspoon garlic salt
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Combine
all ingredients, and spread into the bottom of a shallow
baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF. Serve
warm with Triscuit crackers.
Recipe
submitted by Kathleen, Lawrence 2nd Ward, Topeka,
KS Stake. |
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8oz
Velveeta (at room temp)
3oz cream cheese, softened
1 small can diced green chilies, drained well
1 small jar diced pimento, drained well
1 small can minced black olives, drained well
Using a rolling pin, flatten the block of Velveeta
between two sheets of waxed paper to a 10x12 inch
rectangle. Take the waxed paper off. Spread cream
cheese on top of the Velveeta. Add the rest of the
ingredients on top of the cream cheese. Roll up the
Velveeta like you would cinnamon rolls, rolling the
widest side. Refrigerate at least one hour. Serve
with Ritz crackers.
Recipe
submitted by Cheryl, Hiawatha Branch, Topeka, KS Stake.
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Soften
Cream Cheese
Take the cream cheese out of the foil wrapper and place in
a small nonmetal bowl. Microwave uncovered on low heat (30%)
until softened. Cheese will hold its shape while it softens.
For 3 oz. - approx. 30-45 seconds. For 8 oz. - approx. 60-90
seconds.
Keeping
it Cold
To keep
you dip cold if you are planning on leaving it out during
a party, fill a medium sized bowl with ice and place the smaller
bowl with your dip on the ice.
Presentation
is Everything!
When
ever I host a party or take something to a gathering, I'm
almost more worried about the presentation of the food than
I am with how it tastes. It must be a woman thing. So here
are a couple of fun things you can do to spruce up the presentation
of your dips and spreads.
Serving
Bowls with Style
Bread Bowls:
You
can find break bowls (commonly sold as soup bowls) in the
bakery section of you local grocery store. If you need a large
quantity (more than 4-6) call the day before to make sure
that many will be available.
Cut
off the top of the bread and reserve the cover. Core out the
rest of the loaf, leaving a shell of about 1/2 inch. Cube
the bread you removed. You can toast the reserved bread cubes
and use them for dipping. I've found that I usually need extra
bread, so I'll buy one bread bowl to use as my dip bowl and
a second for addition dipping bread.
Melon
Bowls:
Add a touch
of class to any fruit dip by placing it in a chilled, hallowed
out melon. Cantaloupe and Honeydew work best. These bowls
can be made up to 1 day ahead if stored in the refrigerator
and covered with plastic wrap.
Method
1: Cut off top of melon about 2-3 inches down
from the stem. To hallow out the melon, use a melon ball spoon
- serve melon with your dip or save for a fruit salad. Once
the melon is hallow, use a paring knife and cut a peaked,
edge along the opening of the melon by cutting a series of
Vs. Fill with fruit dip and refrigerate. If you're concerned
about the melon bowl flavoring the dip, chill empty until
ready to serve.
Method
2: Use a sharp-tipped paring knife and cut
a zigzag pattern around the middle of each melon. Separate
the melon halves and scoop out the seeds. Scrap some of the
melon meat off the sides to create a larger "bowl"
for the fruit dip. Cover and chill (either with or without
the dip) until ready to serve.
Think
out side the bowl!
All of us have fun and unique dishes in our home that would
add a touch of flare and class to any gathering. Consider
placing your dip inside one of these "bowls."
- Ice
cream sundae dishes or stemmed dessert glasses
- Antique
tea cups
- Large
soup mugs
- Small
clay or ceramic pots
- Shaker,
woven or wicker baskets
- Children's
toys - sand bucket, dump truck, etc.
And, of
course, you wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity to use
the crystal/putter/sliver bowl you got as a wedding present!
Just a
reminder, since you're serving food in these "bowls"
make sure you thoroughly clean them. In some cases it would
be best if you first placed your dip in a plastic or glass
bowl (like an empty sour cream carton) and then set it in
the serving "bowl."
Garnishes
Bacon:
Bacon makes a nice garnish to many creamy vegetable dips.
To cook your bacon in the microwave place the bacon on a plate
lined with 2 paper towels. Cover bacon slices with paper towel
before micro waving. Discard paper towels after cooking as
they will be very greasy. (For 1 to 2 slices bacon - 3/4 to
2 minutes. For 4 slices - 3 to 4 minutes. I usually use the
formulation of one minute per slice.)
Green
onion:
Chop off some of the green stalk of the onion for use as a
garnish for a vegetable or cracker dip. The bright green color
will add pizzazz to the dip.
Mint
Leaves:
The addition of a sprig of mint to your fruit dip
will again add just a hint of color and a bit of refreshing
color. Just wash the mint sprig and place in the center top
of your dip anchoring the stem and leaving the leaves exposed.
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