Cheddar Ranch Dip

 

I’m not going to lie, now that I am an adult and can do what I want with never any scolding, there are times when I’ve had dip for dinner. Not just spooning it out of the bowl, mind you, but serving it with a nice array of freshly cut vegetables, as well as crackers, and the occasional bit of rolled salami — cigarette style — that I use as a dipper. Today I decided to use this dip as a topper for a baked potato. Why not? I mean, think about it. You top potatoes with sour cream, bacon bits, chopped scallions, and shredded cheese, why not combine all of that into one, making it so much easier to deal with, and far less messy. It's also amazingly delicious when dolloped on top of an omelet. Seriously, you cannot go wrong with this delicious dip that is suitable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Cheddar Ranch Dip

16 oz. sour cream

3 T. (1 packet) Ranch dressing mix

1 3-oz. pkt. bacon bits

1 c. shredded Gouda cheese

2-3 scallions, chopped

 Whisk together sour cream and dressing mix in a medium bowl. Fold in remaining ingredients. Cover and store in the fridge overnight before serving.

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Homemade Garlic Butter

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If you like garlic bread as much as I do, but don’t like the hassle of making it, have I got a recipe for you! Homemade garlic butter is a wonderful thing to have on hand. Slather it on a split loaf of French bread, run it under the broiler, done in no time it will be eagerly consumed by your fellow diners. If you want to perk up a rather dull vegetable, toss it with your favorite, and this will add loads of taste. Did I mention how delicious this is melted on top of an Idaho baker? Heaven! I have even been known, in desperation, to spread it on a saltine cracker as a snack. Frankly, I hate being without it. So feel free to double or even triple the recipe depending upon the size of your family. You would be wise to make this now, because I’m going to be using it in a recipe later in the week that you are definitely going to want to try.

Homemade Garlic Butter

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cloves garlic, minced*
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
¾ t. dried fresh basil
¾ t. dried parsley
1/8 t. dried oregano
½ t. Kosher salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl beat butter until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients, beating until well blended. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It can also be frozen for up to a year. Although you may be tempted, do not use fresh herbs, unless you plan to consume this within a couple of days.

*If you don’t feel like mincing your own, I have often used Melissa’s Minced Garlic in place of the real thing.

Caramelized Shallot Dip with Toasted Everything Bagel Topping

I am not too proud to admit that I love onion dip, and, yes, I am talking about that package of desiccated mystery ingredients that are dumped into a container of sour cream. I have been known to have Designthat stuff for dinner with whatever leftover I have from the day before dipped into it. But I got to wondering how real onion dip would taste, that is, onion dip actually made with onions (or a member of the onion family), and real ingredients. I started rummaging around online and came up with this recipe. I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit of work. There’s a lot of measuring and chopping involved, and I don’t know about you, but I particularly hate peeling and mincing garlic, but it’s well worth it.

This dip is intensely flavorful. It taste like real onions, has an earthiness to it, and the crunch of fresh ingredients like parsley and chives, as well as the phenomenal “everything bagel” topping, toasted to perfection prior to use.

I found this recipe in an ad for Stacy’s pita chips, so no surprise it goes very well with them. But! It is also incredibly good on top of a baked potato, alongside roasted vegetables to use as a dip, french fries, or tater tot’s, or anything you can imagine would be good dipped into something like this. Make it! Double it! Once you do, you will never use that dried stuff again.

Caramelized Shallot Dip with Toasted Everything Bagel Topping
As seen in Bon Appétit

For the shallots:

2 3-oz. pkgs. Melissa’s shallots, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped (a bit reserved for garnish)
2 tablespoons chives, finely sliced (a bit reserved for garnish)
Kosher salt
Black pepper

For the everything bagel topping:

1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic flakes
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

For the dip:

1 16-ounce container sour cream
1 bag pita chips or dipper of your choice

Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Melt the butter, and then add the shallots. Sprinkle the sugar over the shallots and season generously with salt and pepper, stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until shallots are soft and deeply golden. Adjust heat as needed between medium and medium-low to keep from scorching. Once shallots are deeply browned, add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, until just softened.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Once the vinegar has evaporated, stir once more to incorporate completely. Turn off heat. Stir in parsley and chives, reserving a bit for garnish. Let shallots cool completely.

Mix all topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Heat a small pan on medium-low heat. Toast the mixture in the pan, tossing frequently, 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.

Transfer the mixture immediately to a sheet pan and spread out to cool.

Fold the cooled caramelized shallots into the sour cream and stir to mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Top generously with everything bagel mix, reserved parsley and chives. Serve with your favorite dipper.

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