holiday party dip

Holiday Party Dip

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spicy spinach dipIt’s been a food-a-thon around here. It started with the various holiday treats my students gave me last week, which we have been happily eating. I baked two batches of Christmas cookies over the weekend, and then my in-laws arrived yesterday, and we headed out for a fancy dinner. Cut to this morning when I baked a sour cream coffee cake, turkey chili, spicy spinach dip, and pita toasts. I don’t cook often, but when I do, I mean business.

I served the spicy spinach dip with the pita toasts as an afternoon snack. I would qualify the dip as Super Bowl worthy. I also like the fact that it has a festive feel due to the red tomatoes and green spinach. So, readers, Merry Christmas and happy snacking this holiday season!

spicy spinach dip ingredientsIngredients

  • 2-3 T. chopped jalapenos (I used canned and drained)
  • 3/4 c. chopped green onions
  • 1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 2 c. seeded and chopped tomatoes
  • 8-oz cream cheese,  softened
  • 2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 c. half and half

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients together. Make sure the cream cheese is blended well.

spicy spinach dip ingredients mixed

  • Pour into buttered ovenproof dish.

spicy spinach dip pre baked

  • Bake at 400 degrees until browned and bubbly (about 20 minutes).

Pita Toast Ingredients

  • 1 package pita bread pockets
  • 1/2 c. melted butter
  • 2 t. lemon pepper
  • 2 t. cumin

pita chipsPita Toast Directions

  • Cut pita pockets into 8 triangles. Separate the triangles into halves.
  • Blend butter, lemon pepper, and cumin.
  • With a pastry brush, spread each piece of pita with butter mixture.
  • Bate at 350 degrees until browned and crisp (about 10 minutes).

pita chips bakedNotes

  • You can use different herbs in the butter mixture for the pita toasts and serve them any time. Italian seasoning is a great replacement for the lemon pepper and cumin. Serve the Italian seasoning pita toasts with soup.
  • The dip can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Bake about 10 minutes longer if the dip has been in the refrigerator before it goes in the oven.

spicy spinach bite

Sun Dried Tomato Dip

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sun dried tomato dip

I needed a festive dip to take with me to a friend’s house, so I pulled out the recipe for my old friend, sun dried tomato dip (courtesy of Ina Garten). The dip originally appeared in my Labor Day Potluck Dinner post. After assembling the dip and the veggie tray, I realized how perfect this dip is for the holidays. The dip is a pinky red color, and I used several red and green raw vegetables. The finished product is quite merry and bright.

Need a quick bite for family members who will be milling around your house for Christmas or something tasty for football viewing? Sun dried tomato dip has got your back. Happy holidays and happy dipping readers!

food processing sun dried tomato dip

Ingredients

  • ¼ c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (get plain oil, any seasoning changes the dip flavor)
  • 8-oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ c. sour cream
  • ½ c. good mayonnaise
  • 10 dashes Louisiana hot sauce or Tabasco
  • 1 t. kosher salt
  • ¾ t. black pepper
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Directions

  • Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
  • Add the scallions and pulse twice. Set aside a pinch of scallions to garnish the top of the dip when serving.
  • Serve at room temperature with sugar snap peas, celery sticks, carrot sticks, pretzel sticks, pita chips, etc.

sun dried tomato dip bite

Notes

  • Make sure cream cheese is at room temperature to get the ingredients to blend together smoothly.
  • Sugar snap peas are my favorite raw vegetable for this dip.
  • Pita chips and Snyder’s pretzel dipping rods are my favorite cracker-y vehicle for getting this dip to your mouth.

sun dried tomato dip 2