Game Day Dips

It's football season in case you haven't noticed. With the cooler temperatures this time of year, we can also expect some exciting game day parties with plenty of food and drink. Keep it simple by serving snacks and appetizers that can be prepared in advance.

When your team takes the field, be ready to cheer them on by hosting a dip buffet. Here is a round-up of my Most Valuable Players that you can add to your play book as well.

Serving Tips: Setting the scene for game day can be fun when you get creative and serve dips in vegetables such as peppers or acorn squash, hollowed bread, or beer mugs.

Be sure to have plenty of these staples on hand for your dips:

• Tortilla chips
• Pita triangles
• Vegetables
• Chips
• Crackers
• Bread rounds or sliced baguettes
• Shrimp

The following recipes will definitely score you some points with your team:

The number one visited page on Home with Mandy is this homemade French Onion Dip made with caramelized onions, sour cream and a few surprising ingredients.

Good old salsa, nothing beats the homemade kind. Here is my copy cat recipe for my favorite salsa that taste like On The Border Salsa.

Another restaurant dip that I just love is the Creamy Jalapeno Ranch at Chuy's Tex Mex Restaurant. This copy cat recipe makes a dip that taste good with tortilla chips, french fries or hot wings.

With only two ingredients, this Raspberry Peach Chipotle Dip is one of the easiest dips you can pull together right before kick off.

Thanks to my blogging buddy Aggie, we have fallen in love with this Hot and Spicy Artichoke Dip.

Coconut shrimp are elevated to new heights when served with this amazing Sweet Chili Mayo dip.

Hummus is easy to whip up in the cuisinart mixer and it is such a versatile dip as well. Add whatever ingredients you like or have on hand. Pine nuts, roasted bell pepper, black bean, spinach, sun dried tomato, pumpkin or almond butter are all wonderful additions. Serve with veggie sticks for a healthy option on game day.

This Creamy Chipotle Ranch dip is a crowd pleaser and good served with everything in Texas!

You know you have a good recipe when your friends request it by name. This Chicken Enchilada Dip consist of ingredients you probably have on hand and can be thrown together at the last minute and baked for just 30 minutes before football fans arrive.

For a crowd, this Spinach Green Chile Dip serves 10 to 12 hungry men and couldn't be easier to make. Directions include "combine all ingredients and refrigerate."

Not all dips on game day need to be savory. Try this sweet Toffee Apple Dip and serve with an assortment of fruit.

The use of a cuisinart blender eliminates chopping all these ingredients, and the end result is a fresh flavor explosion great on sliced baguettes. Get the recipe for my Antipasto Dip here with easy step-by-step photos.

I love to serve this Spinach Artichoke Dip in a hollowed out bread bowl. Smear this warm dip on a toasted baguette or homemade pita chips.

Now for a new dip recipe! Make this blue cheese and bacon dip this weekend and be the MVP of the party!

 

Warm Blue Cheese, Bacon and Garlic Dip

For this recipe you will need the following:
Bacon, half a package, chopped
1 package Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 small container of Blue Cheese crumbles
Garlic, minced
1/4 C Whipping Cream
4 green onions, chopped
3 ounces smoked almonds, chopped

I tried to choose a package of bacon with not much fat. Take the slab out of the package and slice in half, then chop into small pieces.

Over medium-high heat, brown the bacon until crispy but not burnt.

Add minced garlic, either fresh or jarred. This is about 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic. Stir around for a minute and then take this off the heat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese.

With the mixer running on low, add 1/4 cup of whipping cream.

Add the small package of blue cheese and let this mix until well combined.

I tried to drain the grease as much as possible off the bacon. Maybe this should have been done BEFORE adding the garlic? Note for next time.

Add the cooled bacon and garlic to the cream cheese in the mixer. stir to combine.

Chop the white and light green parts of the green onions then stir that into the mixture lightly.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into an oven proof dish, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Before serving, top with a sprinkling of crushed almonds.