RecipesParty Dips for Football Season
Now that the football season has kicked off, it"s party time! Time for entertaining friends while cheering on your favorite team and who can watch a football game without chips and dips, chips and crackers, or dips and fresh veggies? Following are some dip recipes that may add some variety to the dips you serve.
Let"s start with a Bacon and Tomato Dip. The combination of bacon and tomato is almost always a crowd pleaser. This dip is good with chips, crackers, fresh veggies, or mini party breads.
LAND O" LAKES BACON TOMATO DIP
2 cups low-fat sour cream
1 cup finely chopped tomato
8 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tbsp dried basil leaves
In a medium bowl, stir all ingredients together until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, allowing flavors to blend. Serve with crackers, chips, or fresh veggies.
Our second dip features dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix and is perfect served with a tray of fresh vegetables:
ITALIAN VEGGIE DIP
16-oz low-fat sour cream
6-oz pkt Italian salad dressing seasoning mix
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, seasoning mix, and cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with a selection of fresh vegetables.
For the health conscience in your group, here is the perfect dip recipe:
HEALTHY PARTY DIP
2 cups low-fat unflavored yogurt
2 cups fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
In a medium bowl, blend yogurt and cottage cheese thoroughly. Sprinkle in sesame seeds, wheat germ, celery salt and garlic powder. Blend together well. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and chill until serving time. Serve as a dip with fresh vegetables or assorted whole-wheat crackers.
This final dip recipe is one I found in a magazine and it is the unique recipe of a great cook who loves to cook and share his expertise with others for charity:
HOWARD ALT"S BLACK BEAN DIP WITH TORTILLA CHIPS
1 red bell pepper
3/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 tbsp finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp balsmic vinegar
2 tbsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
2 cans (15-oz each) cans black beans, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Chopped red bell pepper, optional
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
Cooking spray
Preheat broiler
Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise, discarding seeds and membranes. Place the halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined sheet and flatten with your hand. Broil 5 minutes or until blackened. Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag and seal. Let stand for 5 minutes, then peel. Place the pepper, cilantro, green onions, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, ground allspice, ground cumin, salt, pepper, beans, jalapeno pepper, and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with chopped red bell pepper, if desired.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tortilla wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden. Serve with the dip.
Yield: 12 servings of 1/4 cup dip and 4 tortilla wedges each
Note: Howard Alt is a Chicago psychiatrist who loves to cook.
Enjoy! And good luck to your team!!