A Time for Chip & Dip Season

Did you know chip & dip season is upon us? You didn't? Well neither did I until recently. I saw an article that was saying Velveeta was going to be in short supply. Someone then commented that it was likely a marketing scheme to get people to stock up on it as we head into chip & dip season. I'm not sure how true all this is but since chips & dip (sometimes veggies too) is my all-time favorite snack I didn't need too much proof to be convinced. So, in the spirit of "chip & dip" season, I give you my top 3 favorite dips. Enjoy!

1. Clam Dip
I'm sure my family cannot claim this as their original recipe but I grew up with this dip. Every Christmas my Memere Albert, my Matante Ann and my Dad would make it...other times of the year too. It's my number one favorite dip. Since I don't follow a recipe and eyeball all the ingredients I will do my best to give you our version of this family favorite.

You will need:
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 can minced clams (reserve the juice)
1/4 tsp of garlic powder (or more or less, do so according to taste)
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce (about 4-5 shakes of the bottle into the dip)

Put the cream cheese and a small amount of the clam juice into a mixing bowl. Beat together for a minute or so, scraping bowl. Continue to add clam juice and mix till the cream cheese is smooth. Discard remaining clam juice. I use about half the juice. For a double recipe I use one whole can's worth of juice. Now add the clams, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Serve with plain chips or the way my Memere always did...with Bugles.

2. Hot Crab Dip
This recipe comes from my very favorite cookbook. It was given to us as a wedding present and I use it all the time. It's called Betty Crocker's Cookbook: Wedding Edition***. I receive a lot of compliments on this dip every time I serve it and it makes my top 3 list!

You will need:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C mayo
1/4 C dry white cooking wine or apple juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground mustard
4 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can crab meat, drained, cartilage removed and flaked
1/3 C sliced almonds

Heat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients except crab meat and almonds in mixer till well blended. Stir in crab meat. Spread mixture in ungreased pie plate. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers (Triscuits are my favorite) or Melba toast crackers.

3. Mexican layer dip
Because Ben and I love Mexican food but we do not like beans, I had to create my own dip that I would actually eat. I'm not going to take credit for this even though I can't find a recipe anywhere like it. I'm sure it exists somewhere though. This is a great recipe to tweak and make your own. Add or remove any ingredient you think will make it something you can enjoy! You really can't mess this up.

You will need:
8oz cream cheese
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1/2-1 C salsa of your choice
1-2 C grated cheddar (or Mexican blend) cheese
1/2 green pepper, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tomato, diced

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a mixer add cream cheese and taco seasoning. Mix scraping sides often till well blended and cream cheese is smooth. In an 8X8 baking dish, spread the cream cheese mixture on the bottom so that it is spread evenly. Pour Salsa over the cream cheese and spread evenly. Next, saute the peppers and onions on the stove till they are softened but not cooked through, approximately 5-6 mins. Spread the peppers and onions over the salsa. Now add the tomatoes over the peppers and onions. Spread the cheese over the veggies evenly. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Do you have a favorite dip you'd like to share? I'm always looking for a new one to try so go ahead and share it with us!

***Betty Crocker's Cookbook: Wedding Edition is excellent! I highly recommend giving this cookbook to a young newlywed couple as a gift. There are so many fabulous tips and suggestions in it along with practical recipes for a young family!