Easy Beer and Cheddar Dip

This dip is amazing with pretzels!  Don't think about the calories, just eat it!  But wait a day or so, if you can.  While the dip is good right away, it's even better the next day so it's a great make-ahead appetizer or snack.

The first time I made this, I used Guinness.  Today, I used a pale ale.  Both are good, which just goes to show, whatever you have on hand is probably fine.  Also, this is one of those recipes that can be very easily adapted to suit personal taste.

1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 of 10z. pkg. Ranch dressing mix

1/4c beer

1 1/4c Cheddar cheese

1/8 tsp. seasoned salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8c green onions, chopped

1.  Mix everything together in a small bowl and adjust seasoning to taste. 

2.  Cover and refrigerate. Give it a few hours for the flavors to really blend before serving.

Oven~Baked Refried Bean Dip

It's snack time!  Grab a bag of chips and dig in!

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2c plain yogurt

1 (16oz.) can refried beans

3 TBSP taco seasoning

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper sauce

2 TBSP green onions, chopped + a little extra for garnish

1c Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

1.  Preheat oven to 350*

2.  In a medium size bowl, stir all ingredients together, reserving 1/2c cheese and the extra green onions.

3.  Add to prepared baking dish.  I used two smaller dishes but the recipe works just as well if you put it all in an 8x8.

4.  Top with the remaining cheese.

5.  Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

Spicy and Savory Thousand Island Dressing

Trust me, once you make this for yourself, you won't ever want to go back to that sugary sweet stuff in a bottle!  It's super easy to throw together and absolutely perfect for Reuben sandwiches.

1/2c mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)

1/4c ketchup

1 TBSP dill pickle relish

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1/4 tsp. mustard seed

1/2 tsp chili powder

1.  Stir everything together in a small mixing bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Good stuff!

Easy Bleu Cheese Dressing

Last night's dinner was served with a salad of mixed greens, pepper jack cheese, red grapes, and Bleu cheese dressing.  The salad may sound like an odd combination but it was delicious and really paired well with our steak seasoned couscous wraps.

1/8c milk

1c mayonnaise

6oz. cup plain yogurt

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2c Bleu cheese, crumbled

1.  Put everything in a medium size bowl and stir until well blended.  Chill until ready to use.  Easy!

                    

                         

Use the extra dressing as a dip with fresh vegetables!

Vegan Ranch Dressing

I'm cooking vegan at home now and needed ranch dressing for tonight's dinner of Gardein chicken wraps.  So, one quick search online and I found the perfect dairy-free ranch dressing:

1/2c vegan mayonnaise (Vegenaise is great!)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. chopped parsley

1/4c unsweetened soy milk

1.  Combine everything in a small bowl.  Chill until ready to serve.

They'll never know it's vegan! ;)

Hot Bean Dip

My husband used to say he wasn't a fan of bean dips.  That is, until he tried this one:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2c plain Greek yogurt

1 (16oz.) can refried beans

3 TBSP taco seasoning

3 good shakes of cayenne pepper sauce

1 TBSP dried parsley

2 TBSP green onions, chopped + a little extra for garnish

1c Mexican blend cheese, shredded

1.  Preheat oven to 350*

2.  Mix everything together in a medium size bowl, reserving 1/2c cheese and the extra green onions.

3.  Add to prepared pan.  I used two smaller dishes but you could put it all in an 8x8.

4.  Top with the remaining cheese.

5.  Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

Top with extra geen onions and serve immediately.

Pimento Cheese Dip

Pimento cheese will forever remind me of hot summer days spent swimming at my grandparents' house as a kid.  I remember pimento cheese sandwiches were pretty standard lunch fare served alongside a nice cold can of Tab (do they even still make that anymore?).  It was so common, my Dad and I used to joke about going to Nana's house for pimento cheese sandwiches.  And while we're there, maybe we'll jump in the pool.

And it wasn't even good pimento cheese; it was the one that came in a plastic tub from the grocery store.  I'm not even certain whether it had actual cheese in it at all.  It was bad, which was exactly what made the joke so funny for us.

This is not that; this is the good stuff:

1c sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 lb. cream cheese, softened

1/4c mayonnaise

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 

1/2 (4 oz.) jar diced pimento, drained

salt and black pepper, to taste


1.  Throw everything in a bowl and stir until well blended.

2.  Chill until ready to serve.              

I like to serve this with the cracked black pepper Triscuits.

So good!