FRANKLIN LIVING MARCH-APRIL 2023

Who doesn’t love a delicious chip-and-dip duet? Whether serving up snacks to accompany a March Madness viewing, cracking down on after-school hunger or planning the perfect picnic accompaniment, the perfect dip should be high on the list. With National Chip and Dip Day falling March 23, now might be the perfect time to whip up a traditional favorite or try a new recipe. Amy Dolan McCollum has plenty of choices.

“Dips are easy to prepare, and many do not require cooking. Everyone loves chips, too, and dips just add to the flavor,” McCollum said. “I have been around lots of kids – having three daughters, doing foster care and teaching for 29 years – and kids and adults too love chips and dips.”

One thing to consider – your serving dishes.

“After we were hit with COVID, more and more people are conscious of food safety and sanitation. Serving the food in small clear punch cups is a great way to make it safer and eliminate any double dipping,” McCollum noted. “You can also purchase snack size bags of corn chips and place in a basket next to the dips to minimize handling.”

CRAB DIP

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. can white crab meat
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 2 Tb. mayonnaise
• Dash of lemon juice
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. finely-chopped onions (more or less to taste)
• Parmesan cheese (fresh; not the kind in the can)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix first six ingredients.
3. Sprinkle parmesan on top.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Serve with pita chips.

APPLE CHIPS

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large sweet crisp apples, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Jazz or Pink Lady
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 200 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Wash the apples then core with an apple corer. You can also skip this step if you don’t mind a few seeds in the chips.
4. With a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice the apples horizontally into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Thin slices are best! If you slice the apples more than 1/8 inch thick, they will still be delicious, but they will not crisp up.
5. Arrange the apples in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
6. Bake for one hour in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then switch the pans’ position on the upper and lower racks. Continue baking for one to one and a half additional hours, until a single apple chip removed from the oven is crisp when set out at room temperature for a couple of minutes – remove a single apple slice to test but let the others continue baking.
7. Once you are happy with the crispness, turn off the oven and let the apples sit in the oven for 1 hour as it cools down to crisp further. If you fear you overcooked them, remove the pan immediately and let it sit at room temperature. Different thicknesses and types of apples determine how crisp they become. The total cooking time will also vary based on the moisture content of your apples.
8. Store baked apple chips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

APPLE DIP

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 package of Heath bits (orange bag)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Serve with apple chips, either from the above recipe or pre-made apple chips, or serve with fresh apple slices.

BUFFALO RANCH DIP

If serving a large crowd, this recipe is easy to double. Serve with tortilla chips or scoop corn chips.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken or two 12.5-oz cans of chicken
• 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce, to taste
• 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Original Dip Mix
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended.  Next, spoon into a 1-quart baking dish.   Bake for 20 minutes.  You can also prepare in a slow cooker or crock pot on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

EASY OLIVE DIP

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-oz. can chopped ripe black olives, drained
• 4.5-oz can green chilies, drained
• 4 or 5 green onions, chopped
• 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes, diced, or 29 oz. canned petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 3 Tb. wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

BEST CHEESE DIP EVER

As a teenager growing up in the ’90s, I loved EL Toro Restaurant in the Shoals. Their cheese dip was my favorite! This recipe is not exact but very close. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks to my dear friend Martha Sibley for sharing it with me several years ago! Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. American cheese
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1 cup water
• Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together and heat in a double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, cook in the microwave, stirring frequently.

CORN DIP

Serve this corn dip cold with tortilla chips or scoop corn chips.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 11-oz cans of corn, drained (I prefer to use one can of white kernel corn, one can of yellow sweet kernel corn and one can of Mexican kernel corn)
• 8 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4-oz. can diced green chilies, drained
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeño pepper or 1 Tb. chopped jalapeño pepper from a jar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

SPINACH DIP

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package Knorr spring vegetable soup mix
• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 10 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all ingredients well and serve with tortilla or corn chip scoops.

CORN DIP

Serve this corn dip heated, with tortilla or corn chips.

INGREDIENTS:

• 15-oz. can white corn, drained
• 15-oz. can yellow corn, drained
• 15-oz. can corn and peppers or Mexi-corn
• 10-oz. can diced Rotel tomatoes, drained
• 8 oz. cream cheese, diced and softened
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 2 Tb. finely-chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tb.  diced jalapeño

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium baking dish, mix all ingredients.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

TEXAS CAVIAR

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 15-oz. cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 15-oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
• 15-oz. can shoepeg corn, drained
• 15-oz. can Mexi-corn or corn with peppers, drained
• 10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 10 oz. zesty Italian salad dressing

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix all together and refrigerate overnight.
2. Serve with corn chips or scoops.