Caramel Apple Dip and Cinnamon Dippers

This is a versatile dip that can be served warm or cold.  I do recommend making the dippers fresh to go with them.   I originally intended on making these for Halloween and using cutters of cats and ghosts for the dipper but I’m running a little behind so I went with fall leaves.  You can make these for any season or event since apples are always in the market. 

 

Caramel Apple Dip

3 lbs apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup honey
11 oz caramels

Put chopped apples into a crockpot with the lemon juice.  Cook until apples are tender. Puree apples in a food mill or just simply mash with a spoon.  Add in caramels and stir well.


Cinnamon Tortilla Dippers

8 small Flour tortillas
3 tbsp butter melted
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cut flour tortillas into desired shapes.  Brush with melted butter.  Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake for 5 minutes at 325°.

Lemon Yogurt Fruit Dip

Another great summertime dessert that is refreshing and and guilt-free.  I used Mascarpone instead of sour cream so the dip would be a little firmer but you can certainly use either one.  The light lemon flavor blends nicely with most fruits.  I served it with red grapes, apple slices, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.

Lemon Yogurt Fruit Dip

1 - 6 oz container lemon yogurt

8 oz Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 tsp honey

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon peel, grated

In a small bowl, cream together the yogurt and Mascarpone.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Italian Cannellini Bean Dip

If you are looking for a quick and tasty dip to make for the Super Bowl...this is it.  You can make it in 15 minutes and impress everyone.  Most of that time was baking the pita chips.  I was even able to use my small food processor and everything fit in just fine.

Italian Cannellini Bean Dip

1 - 19 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp garlic olive oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Place the cannellini beans in the food processor.  Process for 1 minute.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  

Pita Chips

4 - whole wheat pitas
2 tbsp garlic olive oil

Cut each pita into 9 wedges.  Brush with the garlic olive oil and bake for 10 minutes at 350°.  

Sweet Potato Marshmallow Dip

A wicked strong wind in the valley and a neighborly state football game is a good time to stay indoors and watch tv with a fun snack.  Today's snack is a tasty combination of marshmallows, honey & cinnamon to dip sweet potato fries in.  The fries today are plain but you can easily spice them up with a little cumin, paprika and garlic powder.  The dip only takes a few minutes to create so you have plenty of time while the fries are baking.

Sweet Potato Marshmallow Dip

3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Stir frequently over a low heat until the marshmallows melt and the dip is warm.

Sloppy Joe Dip

Weekends always have lots of different sports to choose from to watch.  Here's a dip that will keep your favorite sports viewers happy (at least from the food, I can not guarantee which team will win).

Sloppy Joe Dip

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground mustard
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup Marble Jack cheese, shredded

Brown ground beef.  Just before it's done, add in onion, red bell pepper and garlic.  In your crock pot, mix together BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and ground mustard.  Add in ground beef mixture to the crock pot and stir completely.  Cook for 1 1/2 hours over medium low heat.  Add in cheeses and stir until melted and cook for another 15 minutes.  Serve warm with slices of toasted french bread and thick cut ripple potato chips.

Hamburger Dip

Game time!  And what better way to spend a cold winter day than watching football (ok, there will be some hockey mixed in there too).  A comfy couch, a beverage of choice and a hot cheesy dip for snacking is all you need.

Hamburger Dip

1 # extra lean ground beef, cooked and seasoned with salt and pepper

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup Mexican cheese blend

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Brown seasoned ground beef.  Just before it has finished cooking, add in the onions and cook together.  Add in tomato sauce and ketchup.  Add in remainder of ingredients and stir until cheese is completely melted.  Transfer to a small crock pot to keep warm.  Serve with chips ~ any kind work - potato (use rippled because they are stronger), tortilla or Fritos.  

BBQ Chip Dip

I don't like a lot of the chip dips on the market.  I like onions as a background flavor so stacking a chip loaded with it isn't for me.  I used to be able to buy a bbq dip but I haven't seen it for years so I decided to create my own.  One thing that you want to do is use a savory bbq sauce, not a sweet one.

BBQ Chip Dip

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp savory bbq sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.  Beat together until smooth.

Cheeseburger Dip

Chilly weekend again with lots of rain.  Good afternoon to be inside watching football.  And what better to watch it with than a hot dip.  I served this with slices of french bread hot from the oven.

Cheeseburger Dip

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tbsp hot sauce
1 cup Cheddar/Jack cheese, shredded

Cook the ground beef until no longer pink.  Right before it's done, add in the onions to cook with the meat.  Add in garlic when there is about 1 minute left.  Stir in cream cheese and stir until melted.  Add in sour cream and hot sauce.  Toss in the Cheddar/Jack cheese and just stir in.  Pour into a greased pie pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350°.

BBQ Chicken Dip & Pita Chips

I decided to do my bbq as an inside treat tonight and in a light form (well it's light depending on how many you eat).  You can mix it up ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator, take it out, bake for 20 minutes and you're ready to enjoy it.  I also included the simple recipe for baked seasoned pita chips that I made to go along with it.  But you can use your favorite kind of chips to serve with this.

BBQ Chicken Dip

14 oz chicken tenders, braised, seasoned, cooled and shredded
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup apple butter
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Mix together in medium bowl, shredded chicken, cream cheese, apple butter, chili sauce and bbq sauce.  Place in a greased pie pan.  Spread out and top with the cheddar cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350°.

Baked pita chips

4 pita breads
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

Cut each pita into 6 pieces.  In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and spices.  Place the pita chips on a large baking sheet.  Brush on the olive oil mixture and bake for 20 minutes at 350°.

Mexican Chicken Dip

Looking for a snack to make for watching the 49ers & Falcons today?  Try this Mexican chicken dip.  For a large group, I'd recommend doubling the recipe.

Mexican Chicken Dip

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
2 tbsp chopped green chilies
1 tbsp taco seasoning
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
tortilla chips


Cook chicken and let cool before fork shredding it.  Combine the chicken in a medium sized dish with the cheeses, chilies and taco seasoning.  Place in a greased dish that is suitable for serving in also.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with an additional 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese.

BBQ Chicken & Bacon Dip

My kitchen seems to have an excess of cream cheese and frozen cranberries at this time of year so you'll probably be seeing a few more recipes that use either of them.

BBQ Chicken & Bacon Dip

2 chicken breasts, braised and shredded

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup bbq sauce

2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 tbsp green chilies

1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Scoop mixture into a greased pie pan and bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Beer Cheese Fondue Dip

Football season is back and with it wonderful foods to snack on while watching the games.  Here's what I made today and it's perfect for dipping breadsticks, apples or chips.  

Beer Cheese Fondue Dip

1 large garlic clove
1 cup beer (I used Blue Moon)
2 cups Monterey Jack/Colby shredded cheese
2 tbsp flour
1 dash hot sauce


Cut garlic clove in half and rub the inside of a small crock pot with both halves.  Pour in beer and let warm up.  When the beer is warm, sprinkle the flour inside the bag of shredded cheese and shake the bag to coat the cheese.  Gradually add to warm beer.  Add the dash (or more to taste) of hot sauce.  

Parmesan & Cayenne Potatoes with Spicy Bacon Dip

I've fallen in love with the Parmesan and Cayenne flavor combination.  Here's what I came up with today ~

Parmesan & Cayenne Potatoes

10 small red potatoes
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
3/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix Parmesan cheese and spices in a bowl.  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  Dip cup side of potato in butter and then in Parmesan spice mixture.  Put face down on baking sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F



Spicy Bacon Sour Cream Dip

1 cup sour cream
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tsp hot sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.