Dip Recipes for the Big Game From Our All-Star Chefs

For many of us, January was a healthy start to the New Year. We tried to get back on track after all those crescent rolls and Christmas cookies. We’ve done a pretty good job resisting temptation, and for that we should be proud.

That said, the Big Game is a day of snacking, sweets and delicious spreads. And it’s February… so it’s time to allow ourselves to indulge in some of our favorite flavors. No matter which team you’re rooting for (or if you’re just watching for the commercials this year), you can certainly enjoy these yummy dip recipes from our chefs.

We suggest buying several bags of chips … these dips are that good.

Make Your Own Guacamole Kit

For the Guacamole:

3 ripe avocados

1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 lemon, juice only, strained

1 lime, juice only, strained

5 dashes of Tabasco

1 ounce olive oil

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

In a medium bowl, add the citrus juices, olive oil, garlic and red onion. Stir and add half the salt. Peel the avocados and place them in the vinaigrette. Using a fork or a masher, smash the avocados until they become creamy and absorb the oil and the citrus juices. Season with the rest of the salt, pepper and Tabasco.

For the toppings:

½ mango, peeled and diced small

¼ bunch of cilantro, chopped fine

2 tablespoons corn nuts, chopped fine

2 tablespoons of plum tomato, diced, seeded and strained

1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

Arrange each topping in separate ramekin vessels. Have friends add the toppings they desire to their serving of guacamole, allowing for unique tastes for all involved.

Horseradish & Applewood-Smoked Bacon Dip

8 slices of good applewood-smoked bacon

½ cup fine-diced white onion

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

⅓ cup prepared horseradish

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

⅓ cup chopped green onion

Fry the bacon until crispy and remove from the pan. Add the diced onion and sauté in the bacon fat until golden brown. Allow the onions to cool. Finely chop up the bacon. In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, garlic powder, white pepper, and salt with a wooden spoon. Mix the bacon, green onion and caramelized onion into dip. Allow mixture to sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving (overnight is even better). Serve with potato chips, crackers or fresh raw vegetables.

 — Whitney Smith

Avocado photo courtesy ThreeLayerCake/Creative Commons