Getting dippy with it on Game Day
February 1st, 2012
12:15 PM ET
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If there's dip on the table, you know you're at a party. If there are at least three varieties present, that party is probably for bowl game - and lucky you.

People don't go making dips all willy-nilly for a weeknight meal or a prim Sunday brunch. They're reserved for gloppy, sloppy abandon in the company of other revelers and these dips should not hold back. We repeat - they should not hold back.

Food editors like us are bombarded with recipe suggestions from celebrity chefs and product representatives touting non-fat, mayo-free, cheese-free, joy-free options for game day. We maintain that if you're eating sensibly the other 365 days of 2012 (okay - 362, because what fun is life if you can't go a little nuts on Thanksgiving, your birthday or New Year's Eve?), a little sour cream on a Frito isn't going to spell your demise. (Though apparently insufficient safety procedures might.)

So go ahead and get dippy with it, and scoop up a few of our favorite recipes from dip devotees Richard Blais, Eva Longoria, John Currence, Marcela Valladolid and our very own recipe boxes.

Marcela Valladolid's Roasted Apple and Tomatillo Salsa
Eat with her homemade tortilla chips.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
3 green apples (such as Granny Smith), quartered
3 whole garlic cloves
1/2 white onion
1 jalapeño, stemmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place tomatillos, apples, garlic, onion, and jalapeño in a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast for 20 minutes or until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred.

Peel garlic. Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Eva Longoria's Guacamole

Serves 6 to 8

6 ripe avocados
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 cup pico de gallo (recipe to follow)
5 Roma tomatoes
1 yellow onion
1 fresh jalapeño
1/2 bunch cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

For the pico de gallo, quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Do the same for the jalapeño, unless you want some added heat then keep the seeds. Dice the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeño, and toss in a small mixing bowl.

Remove the pit of the avocados and scoop into a mixing bowl. Using a large spoon, smash the avocados just a little so that you can work the rest of the ingredients and seasonings into them. Combine remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to desired taste.

And holy guacamole, does Rosa Mexicano's Jason Berry have a few tips for getting the green stuff sufficiently super. Says he, "Nothing sets up your fiesta for success like a big bowl of homemade guacamole. Don’t be 'culinarily blasphemous' with pre-packaged purées and spice mixes when you can spend a few extra minutes doing guac right."

"Once your guests taste your recipe, you will undoubtedly have the Cinco de Mayo respect of all your fiesta patrons. The key to guacamole is starting with fresh, ripe ingredients: Haas avocados, cilantro, onion, jalapeño, tomato and a bit of salt for seasoning."

"The secret to perfect guacamole is to start by making a paste with jalapeño, onion and cilantro in a molcajete – a lava-rock mortar found in Mexico. You can purchase one at an upscale kitchenware stores or use a traditional mortar and pestle to approximate the paste."

Richard Blais' "Srir-ancha"

"Ranch dressing and sriracha: This is as close as I get to 'semi-homemade.' OK, this is semi-homemade, but delicious nonetheless."

Ingredients

1 cup Ranch dressing
2 Tbsp Sriracha

Simply combine the two sauces.

Try Chef Blais' Buffalo Sweetbreads with Blue Cheese Foam

Kentucky Benedictine Dip

1 large cucumber
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 small white onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sour cream
Green food coloring (optional)

Peel the cucumber, and either juice it with a citrus juicer, or grate as finely as possible. With either method, reserve the juice and set aside. Follow the same procedure with the onion.

Combine cucumber pulp/shreds, 2 Tbsp onion pulp/shred, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and optional green food coloring in a bowl or food processor, and blend, adding cucumber juice and onion juice until desired taste, color, and smoothness is achieved.

Serve with crudité, crackers or triangles of cocktail rye.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise (fine, fine - you can use low-fat)
1 cup grated (NOT powdered) Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine all the ingredients and fold into a 1 quart casserole. Bake for 25 minutes, or until heated through and lightly browned on top. Serve with crackers.

Three Takes on Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheese Spread (from our commenter C.K. Leverett)

1 pound Velveeta or similar cheese product, shredded
1 pound finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 jar (14-16 oz.) pimentos or roasted red peppers, drained and diced
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Texas Pete (or your favorite hot sauce)"

Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and start blending on the lowest mixer setting until combined, scraping frequently. Very gradually increase mixer speed, scraping as needed, until the mixer is at its highest setting. Beat at highest speed for at least five minutes until creamy. Cover bowl (or transfer to a tightly covered container) and chill overnight, allowing flavors to meld. Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before spreading.

Nutty Pimento Cheese (from our commenter Robot Chop)

1 pound cheddar cheese – shredded
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp grated onions
1/2 cup diced pimentos
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients, enjoy.
Add your favorite sauce for mo zing.

Chef John Currence's Pimento Cheese

Makes about 3/4 gallon

4 cups shredded cheddar
4 cups shredded Havarti
1 1/2 cup cream cheese
1 1/2 cup bread and butter pickles, minced
3/4 cup pickle juice
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp Tabasco hot sauce
1 cup pimentos, minced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Combine cheeses, mayonnaise, pickle juice and Tabasco in food processor and pulse until combined. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Did we skip your favorite dip? Let us know in the comments below and we attempt to rectify.

Previously - Super Bowl beers and killer chicken wings and even more dip recipes

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Filed under: Dip • Holidays • Junk • Make • Pimento Cheese • Recipes • Staples • Super Bowl • Tailgating


soundoff (45 Responses)
  1. Brennan Cronin

    So much "yum" in these tailgating blogs. Keep the ideas rolling in!
    http://collegetailgatingtents.com/

    May 31, 2013 at 4:43 pm |
  2. burns

    This is really, really, really, really, gay.

    February 3, 2012 at 5:10 am |
    • ml

      gay???

      February 5, 2014 at 6:49 pm |
  3. ORANDO

    GUAC
    DICED AVO
    DICED ONION
    DICED ROMA TOMATO
    LIME JUICE
    PUT IN BOWL, STIR/MASH WITH FORK
    EAT

    February 2, 2012 at 11:22 am |
  4. Yumyum

    Hot wing Dip is my favorite. I got the recipe from a co- worker:

    Hot Wing Dip

    4 or 5 Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts (About 2-1/2 lbs)
    1 Cup of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
    12 oz. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
    2 – 8 oz Packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Softened)
    ¼ Cup Celery
    Shredded Cheddar Cheese

    1. Boil and Shred Chicken
    2. Put shredded chicken, hot sauce and Celery in skillet and simmer for 5 minutes, mix in Cream Cheese – be sure not to boil!
    3. Add Ranch Dressing – Spray a 9 x 13” Pan with Pam and pour in mixture. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with
    Cheddar Cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes.
    4. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips

    Note: Use Brand Names and no Low Fat products or it will change the taste.

    If making ½ recipe, bake in a 9” pie plate.

    February 2, 2012 at 11:08 am |
    • NeverBoiled

      I make this same recipe almost to a "T" but the chicken is much better when marinated in hot sauce and left in a crock pot for 10h on low. It practically melts in your mouth. Boiled chicken is the worst way to prepare chicken...ever.

      February 2, 2012 at 12:27 pm |
  5. Julie

    The secret to making good guacamole is using a special Mexican lava stone grinding rock?
    Oh put-LEEZ. Just STOP IT. That's the kind of ridiculous statement that makes you want to grind the guacamole into the cooks sofa upholstery.
    I have no way of proving it – but I'd bet a years salary that her silly guacamole would taste just as good if she'd whirled it up in a food processor.
    Or I could use the equally ridiculous 40-pound granite mortar and pestle that some dope gave me for Christmas after hearing me say I'd like to get a little one to grind rosemary seeds in for the Thanksgiving turkey.
    I love good food but I hate foodie pretentiousness.

    February 1, 2012 at 10:08 pm |
    • Victor

      You mean a molcajeta? Thats the best way to make guac. Take your ass back down south and learn some cooking skills

      February 1, 2012 at 11:44 pm |
    • Holy lime juice,batman!

      Gadgets aren't the end-all. A molcajete is the very OPPOSITE of pretentious. If you don't want to use it, fine, but don't put down the simplicity and hundreds of years of history/tradition. How can it possibly be ok to say you want a "little mortar and pestle" for grinding your own rosemary when you can just as easily use a dedicated coffee grinder?

      February 2, 2012 at 6:54 am |
      • Twinkle Toes

        Bingo! And she wants to call someone a "dope" that thought enough of her to give her a gift. Totally lame-o.

        February 2, 2012 at 7:05 am |
      • Holy lime juice, batman!

        Yeah I just don't get it–her claim is like saying the only proper way to make mashed potatoes is an electric mixer and granny's old "potato stomper" is pretentious. What?

        I get the feeling that when "some dope" comes from some backward place where her only exposure to mexican food came from boxes and bags.

        February 2, 2012 at 8:03 am |
      • "Ain't that right, Uhuh?"

        "Uhuuuhhh!"

        February 2, 2012 at 8:52 am |
    • Hippy Dippy

      "I have no way of proving it – but I'd bet a years salary that her silly guacamole would taste just as good if she'd whirled it up in a food processor."

      A) Then you shouldn't have made the comment in the first place because ...
      B) ... part of the attraction of guacamole is it's consistency. Unless you're paying very close attention* , a food processor could over-blend the avocado and you'll have a smoother guac than is traditional.

      * I get the feeling you only pay very close attention to things that are the center of your world – like yourself – so this wouldn't work for you.

      February 2, 2012 at 7:37 am |
      • Twinkle Toes

        " I get the feeling you only pay very close attention to things that are the center of your world – like yourself – so this wouldn't work for you." Hahaha! The best!

        February 2, 2012 at 8:06 am |
    • Daisy

      Texture is an important part of what makes food interesting and appealing. Guacamole made in a food processor or blender is smooth and creamy, which is not the way it's supposed to be. If that's the way you're going to make it, you might as well just buy frozen guacamole from the grocery store. Even if you don't have the suggested mortar and pestle, at least mash it by hand so it still retains some texture and character.

      February 2, 2012 at 9:58 am |
    • white blaze

      wow julie, so much for you being allowed to have an opinion. obviously if the rest of us do not agree emphatically with the commenters that have bullied you then we should just go jump off the nearest cliff. sorry for the beating, don't pay attention to it. and no i do not wish to hear or read any rebuttle by the bullies........

      February 2, 2012 at 1:22 pm |
    • Hippy Dippy

      blaze, anyone who posts on an open forum runs the risk of getting shot down, uplifted, chastized or thrown a ticker tape parade. Julie took her opinion, stuck her neck out, posted it and got her azz handed back to her. It could just as easily been any of the rest of us – and sometimes is.

      FTR, I don't give a flaming rat's eyeball what you do and don't want to hear/read. It's.an.open.forum. Take your li cks or try to defend yourself, then move on. That's how it works.

      February 2, 2012 at 1:54 pm |
  6. Slurp it.

    I could eat guacamole like pudding. I am not ashamed.

    February 1, 2012 at 3:14 pm |
    • Moaning Merna

      I'll slurp it for ya'.

      February 2, 2012 at 8:50 am |
  7. t3chsupport

    I like my simple guac –
    Avacados
    Pico
    Sour cream
    Onion powder
    Garlic powder
    Fresh cilantro
    Lime juice

    I don't know about quantities, I just mix it all up until it looks/smells/tastes good.

    February 1, 2012 at 1:37 pm |
    • Julie

      I like it even simpler than that....avocados, lime juice, salt.

      February 1, 2012 at 3:57 pm |
      • Hippy Dippy

        No garlic, Julie?

        February 1, 2012 at 4:06 pm |
      • MBob

        I am pretty basic too-avocado, onion, lime juice, one small diced tomato and some spices which I add to taste. No garlic.

        February 1, 2012 at 5:52 pm |
  8. Hippy Dippy

    Best dip conveyance? Depends on the dip (and the dipper of course).
    bleu cheese: chicken wings
    french onion dip: potato chips
    clam dip: ditto potato chips
    bacon horseradish dip: a square of cheddar on a ritz
    any mustard dip: pretzels
    salsa: corn tortilla chips

    I could go on and I may already have ...

    February 1, 2012 at 1:29 pm |
  9. Calidip

    Really, the best dip is the simplest, the california dip. 16oz of sourcream, 1 packet of lipton dry onion soup mix, add ruffled potato chips. Done deal.

    February 1, 2012 at 1:25 pm |
    • Hippy Dippy

      Gotta get out of the commune more often. We've always known it as French Onion Dip. I dun gone and learnt sumpthin tewdae.

      February 1, 2012 at 1:39 pm |
      • Calidip

        California Dip is what Litopn calls it when you look at the recipe on the side of the box.

        February 1, 2012 at 3:49 pm |
      • Hippy Dippy

        Sure. That's what it says now. That Lipton onion soup mix has been around a very long time and it used to be called French Onion Dip.

        February 1, 2012 at 4:05 pm |
    • Ally

      At our house that is called "Fart Dip". No kidding.

      February 1, 2012 at 4:24 pm |
  10. Arturo Féliz-Camilo

    Two words. NO. WAY! LOL!!

    February 1, 2012 at 1:03 pm |
    • CN Red

      Man, the photos of food on your blog/website are dyn-o-myte!

      February 1, 2012 at 2:11 pm |
      • Arturo Féliz-Camilo

        LOL! Thanks! There's a link to the English version of it all too!

        February 1, 2012 at 3:17 pm |
 
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