Sauces and Dips

Bacon Cheddar Dip

January 12, 2009 by Lynsey 1 Comment

At work, we all decided to have a little Christmas party on Christmas Eve. Everyone agreed to bring a few things that we could snack on throughout the day. The desserts were already taken care of so I decided that I would make some sausage balls, so we could have something to eat on during the morning, and then I also made some dip.

I wanted to make a dip that was pretty easy and that didn’t need to be heated or kept warm while being served. I started looking around on different websites to see if there was anything that just jumped out at me. It’s amazing how many different dips there are; it can be overwhelming especially if you don’t have an idea of what kind you want to make. I finally came across this dip on the Kraft Foods website and thought it sounded pretty good. There were very minimal ingredients and it would only take a matter of minutes to put together. Since I had some other stuff I needed to do in the kitchen I decided this was the one I would go with.

This dip was so easy to put together and didn’t take hardly any time at all. The recipe called for real bacon bits but I used real bacon and crumbled it up; which I think made it even better. I made it the night before so it could chill over night and so the flavors would infuse a little better. This is a dip that would be great served at any type of gathering any time throughout the year.

Bacon Cheddar Dip

Ingredients:

1 (16oz.) Container reduced fat sour cream

1 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4-6 Slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Green onions, sliced

Crackers to serve with dip (I used Triscuits)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together (except crackers) and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Recipe Source: Kraft Foods

Sausage Dip

December 12, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I know it’s December, my blog has been lonely and there aren’t any recipes from Thanksgiving on here yet. I’ve been busy so I really haven’t had time to share everything I cooked for Thanksgiving…but that’s all about to change, better late than never, right?

So for Thanksgiving with Spencer’s family I was asked to do some appetizers, a dessert and a side item. For the appetizers I wanted to do some simple things that were good served either warm or room temperature. I decided to make sausage balls, bacon wrapped pretzels, and a hearty sausage dip. All the appetizers turned out awesome and everyone ate them up.

The sausage dip was first introduced to me by one of my best friends, Heather. She made this dip at Spencer’s birthday party this past fall and it was eaten up by everyone in a matter of minutes. The same effect took place when I made this dip. From the time the lid was taken off the container people dove into it and it was a hit! This is definitely a must try for your next party.

Since she’s introduced this dip to me it’s been a go to recipe for me. There isn’t much to this dip at all and it consist of 3 ingredients, that’s it! It’s so easy and it’s one of those where the sausage can be browned the day before and then everything thrown together the day of.

Hearty Sausage Dip

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage, browned and drained
2 (8oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 can Rotel, drained

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and serve warmed or at room temperature with favorite chips.

Recipe Source: my friend, Heather

A Little Sauciness

November 6, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

When we had “Taste of the Tropics” meal I decided to make a dipping sauce for the coconut shrimp. Although they were wonderful by themselves and full of flavor I wanted a light sauce to dip it in; I guess because I was in a sauce mood! I didn’t want regular cocktail sauce; I wanted something light and semi-sweet to compliment the flavor of the sweet coconut on the shrimp.

There was nothing to the sauce. It was so easy to throw together and the end result was pretty tasty. I decided to carry the common element of the meal, cilantro, through to the dipping sauce as well. It was a very nice addition to a simple creation, but it pulled everything together. I’m sure this would be good served with other foods as well. Since there’s not a lot to it, it would be very easy to change up the flavors and things it would compliment.

Sweet Cilantro Cream

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 Tablespoon sugar

2-3 Teaspoons cilantro, diced

Directions:

In a mixing bowl add whipping cream and sugar. Beat on high until it begins to thicken a little. Once it’s at the desired consistency add cilantro and fold in. Serve along side coconut shrimp or any other desired dish.

Avocado Smash

September 2, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

This recipe came with the Salsa StoupI found at Food Network. This recipe was great on the soup that called for it but it would also be great on it’s own. I thought the sour cream that was called for in this receipe sounded a little different at first but once I mixed everything up it all blended together very well. It also makes the dip go a little further without having to add a ton of avocados; although I do love traditional guacomole…but this was a nice little change too.

Ingredients:

1 avocado
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 plum tomato, finely chopped

Directions:

Remove 1 avocado flesh to a bowl. Add the cilantro and scallions. Pop the lime in the microwave for a few seconds. Add the juice of 1 lime, the sour cream, and season with salt and pepper. With a fork or spoon, smash up the mixture, leaving chunks for a good consistency.

Chop and seed the plum tomato and fold into avocado. Serve.

Courtesy of Food Network

Homemade Salsa

September 1, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Salsa is one of my absolute favorite things, I absolutely love it. I could eat salso pretty much any time and that is my mean when we go eat Mexican. I really don’t think that fresh, homemade salsa can be beat though. Summer time is awesome because that means fresh produce and people with gardens that have more tomatoes and fresh vegetables than they know what to do with.

This recipe is so simple and so easy to adjust according to what “temperature” your taste buds can handle. I have used the base recipe to make many different temperature and flavors of salsa. You know what they say, you can never go wrong with the original and I’ve had so many people that go on and on about this recipe. However, if you do’nt like your salsa sweet then I suggest halfing the sugar that is called for. I like the sugar and the amount of sugar in this recipe because when I make it spicy the sugar is there to immediately tone it down. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do in our home.

Ingredients:

12 Tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Onion- chopped

2 Bell peppers- chopped

2 Teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon pepper, or to taste

1 1/2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes

1 Jalapeno- finely diced

Garlic salt- to taste

1 Cup sugar

2/3 Cup vinegar

Chili powder- to taste

Tobasco- to taste

Directions:

Heat tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper on medium to medium high until tender. Once tender, add sugar and vinegar and stir together. Once combined add the rest of the ingredients and cook until salsa begins to thicken.

Courtesy of Lynsey Lou

Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Garlic Mayonnaise

June 29, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I love sweet potatoes but it seems like the only time I have them is Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lately I’ve been wanting to spice up my side dishes and have some stuff that is out of the ordinary for us. The last time I went to the grocery store I bought some sweet potatoes and figured I could try out some new recipes.

I searched sweet potato fries on the food network website and found these by Giada. Although the fries are nothing out of the ordinary the mayonnaise is fabulous.

Sweet Potato Fries:

Ingredients:

5 sweeet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 5-inch fries
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the fries on baking sheet lined with foil and toss with olive oil. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

While fries are baking combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.

When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise for dipping.

Recipe Source: Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

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