Three Spicy Dips for the Superbowl

Who doesn’t like a great dip for the Superbowl? Here are a few recipes I have made that are both easy and satisfying. You can serve these with tortillas chips, pita chips, potato chips or crudites.

First on the list is the Jalapeno Popper Dip. I love jalapeno poppers but do not eat them often because well, it’s got a load on fat in it and it’s fried. In this dip version you’re shaving off quite a bit of fat but still keeping that great spicy flavor. When I made this the last time the bowl was practically licked! This recipe called for mayonnaise but I replaced it with plain yogurt and you really can’t taste the difference. Also, if you’re really watching your weight just dip a couple of chips and step away, no matter how tempting it is to hog the bowl.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients:
1 8oz pkg of reduced fat cream cheese, soften
1/4 cup of plain yogurt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, reserve a 1/4 cup for topping
4-5 jalapenos, chopped into small bits
1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp of butter, melted

Mix soft cream cheese, yogurt, 3/4 cup of cheddar and jalapenos in a bowl until well blended. Transfer to an oven safe bowl. In a separate bowl mix breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and melted butter and sprinkle over the jalapeno mixture. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 20  minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.

Next up is the classic guacamole. Use fresh ingredients and keep it simple.

Classic Guacamole

Sometimes I’ll add half of a diced small red onion which gives it a nice bite but it depends who’s coming over. My sister can’t deal with onions and so I leave them out just for her. Other than that I really don’t like to mess with this recipe too much because its just perfect this way.

Ingredients:
3 Haas Avocados
2 ripe plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1-2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
juice from 1/2 lemon

Add avocado to bowl and break into cubes with fork, add chopped tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, salt & pepper, lemon juice and blend well. Do not over mix since guacamole, it should be chunky and not runny. Serve right away or place a layer of plastic wrap directly on top of guacamole, press down to get all the air pockets out and refrigerate. The lemon in the guacamole from browning but placing plastic wrap on top of the guacamole helps as well. If it does turn brown a bit just scrape the top layer off and it will be fine.

Finally, this dip is amazing and very hot and spicy. You can serve anything with this. I even puree the mixture to use as a condiment sauce.

Creamy Chipotle Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt
4 chipotles peppers in adobo sauce, chopped finely
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well blended and serve with your favorite chips or vegetables. If you don’t have Greek yogurt you can use regular plain yogurt. The Greek version is a bit thicker and makes dip a bit more dense.