Now, being in the full swing of summer and having my inbox overflowing with invites to summer BBQs and parties I thought I'd share the recipes for my 3 most popular party dips. Whenever I bring along any of these moorish delights I am suddenly bombarded with requests for the recipe so here they are!
I know it's not always mandotory but if you've ever been to a friends shin dig and its gotten to that point where everyone is desperately scratching at the bottom of a chip bowl for crumbs and the host either has to make a food run or dish out cash to order pizzas, it's just nice to help avoid that. After all, it's better to have too much food than not enough. This goes for booze too but I particularly love bringing homemade goods.
In my experience, a good dip is always the best way to go. Dips are a great for sharing/serving, easy to make and they make socializing whilst eating a cinch. These 3 dip recipes are my staples which have been passed down to me from my mother. Trust me, these are crowd pleaser guaranteed.
7 Layer Mexican Dip
Serves 12-14
3 16oz. (435g) cans fat free refried beans
6 ripe avocados, mashed
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp hot sauce
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
16oz (454g) sour cream
1 pack taco seasoning
8 oz. (250g) shredded cheddar cheese or 4 cheese mix
1 1/2 c. (300g) fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 16oz (435g) can pitted black olives, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
Doritos or plain tortilla chips for serving
First, spread the beans into a thick layer in the bottom of a large platter. For the guac, mix the mashed avocado with the onion, garlic powder, hot sauce, limes and salt&pepper then spread the mix evenly over the beans. Next, mix the sour cream with the taco seasoning and gently spread that over the guac. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the sour cream mix and top with tomatoes, olives and green onions. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
French Onion Dip From Scratch
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red onion, diced
5 shallots, minced
3 cloves of garlic
16 oz. (450g) container of sour cream
1 cup (226g) light Mayo
2 Tbsp chives + 1 tbsp for garnish, chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp seasoning salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Plain ruffled potato chips for serving
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions and shallots till soft them add the garlic and sauté everything together till the garlic is toasted and the onion are slightly browned. Remove from skillet and let cool. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl till well combined. Now stir in the sautéed onion mix and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Stir then top with chives before serving.
Creamy spinach dip
2x 10oz. (566g) Packs of frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly
3/4 cup (190g) light mayo
2x 16oz (900g) containers of sour cream
1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 4 oz can water chestnuts, chopped
1 red bell pepper, minced
Cubed French bread, pumpernickel or Rits crackers for serving
Make sure all the water has been drained from the spinach by pressing down hard on the thawed spinach though a strainer then use your fingers to break it up into loose pieces. In a large bowl mix the Mayo, sour cream and ranch mix then fold in the spinach. Next, stir in the green onions, water chestnuts and bell pepper. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.