Finger food always seems to hit the spot. From mozzarella sticks to chips to veggie trays — they’re a family favorite in my household!
And while I love recipes like my Zesty Ranch Crackers, there’s something about dips that keep me coming back for more.
Maybe it’s the versatility because you can pair them with anything from crackers to veggies. Or maybe it’s that most dips are fairly simple to make. Most of the time, you just have to throw everything into a bowl and stir.
But instead of trying to find the reason behind my love for delicious dips, I figured I’d just share a few of my own along with some I found on the web.
Hot Dips For Your Get-Together
Here are some of my favorite dips you can serve warm.
Touchdown Chili Dip
This chili dip is a go-to for football season, but it’s also a good year-round treat. It’s made with beans, cheese, tomatoes, ground meat and cream cheese… yes, you heard that right! Cream cheese is the “secret sauce” to this recipe.
While hearty, it’s easy to serve as a dip with chips for the entire table. You can find the full recipe HERE.
Warm Asiago Cheese and Artichoke Dip
If you’re a long-time Just Jill crew member, I’m sure you’ve seen my cheese and artichoke dip recipe. And although this one is great with pita or toasted bread slices, it’s also perfect for tortilla chips.
Unlike traditional salsa, this asiago cheese dip recipe is bound to work well with multiple cuisines. You can also use it for an appetizer or for a side to your main dinner dish! Want to make it at home? HERE is the recipe.
Rotel Dip
This might be the easiest recipe I’ve seen because it only requires three ingredients. But don’t let the simplicity fool you, it’s packed with flavor and it’s pretty filling too.
To make the dip from Princess Pinky Girl, you’ll need these ingredients on hand.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes
- 16-ounce box Velveeta cheese
Place the ground beef in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Then, brown the beef until it’s no longer pink. Cut the Velveeta cheese into chunks to help it melt faster, and add the Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta cheese to the pot.
Stir it frequently until the cheese is completely melted. While hot, pour the mix into a serving bowl and serve with some chips! You can also drizzle it over tacos or nachos for another twist on the recipe.
Cold and Delicious Dips
In the mood for some chilled delicious dips? You can find some of my top picks below.
Fresh and Easy Zesty Shrimp Salsa
Did you read my Mexican Meal Night blog? If so I’m sure you ran into my Fresh and Easy Zesty Shrimp Salsa. I won’t bore you with all the details again, but this dip practically bursts at the seams with flavor.
It’s also super refreshing and light — meaning you can use it in addition to a bunch of other appetizers. Find all the ingredients to make it HERE.
Easy Elote Dip
This Easy Elote Dip from Gimme Some Oven is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Not familiar with Elote? It’s a Mexican corn-on-the-cob, covered in mayonnaise, chili powder, fresh lime juice and Cotija cheese. But to make this one a little more finger-friendly, it’s served in dip form.
Here’s what you’ll need if you want to make it at home.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 pound whole kernel corn
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely-chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup crumbled Cojita cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons greek yogurt (or mayo)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Juice of 1 lime
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Next, add the corn and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s golden and caramelized. Add in the garlic and keep on the heat for an additional two minutes.
Remove the mix from the head and add the corn to a mixing bowl. Toss the remaining ingredients into the bowl and stir until combined. Delicious!
Dill Pickle Dip
Nowadays, you can get dill pickle-flavored everything. They have dill pickle sunflower seeds, dill pickle chips and even dill pickle popcorn! What I’m trying to say is that this signature pickle is pretty popular… and it makes for a good dip.
I discovered this dill pickle recipe on BellyFull and it only takes 10 minutes to make. In a hurry and need a simple recipe? Here’s what you’ll need.
Ingredients:
- 8-ounce pack of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup finely chopped dill pickles
- 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 3 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
Press the cream cheese into a bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir the cheese until smooth and add the remaining ingredients and combine. Cover the batch with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.
Bring out some tortilla cheese, pretzels and veggies for eating!
I hope you’re able to make a couple of these delicious dips for your next gathering. Some are easier than others, but they’re all just as tasty!
From my kitchen to yours,
Jill
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