Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup toffee bits

Instructions

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.
3. Serve with graham crackers or apple wedges.

Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
12 oz frozen or fresh cranberries (use frozen for Sara's sake)
4-5 green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
2 cream cheeses
wheat thins

Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely shopped. Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped.  Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness

When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9 inch pie dish.  Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving.  Serve with wheat thins

Cheesy Pepper Dip

This is an awesome warm dip.  I am a huge fan! 


From: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/cheesy-roasted-red-pepper-dip/


Ingredients
7 oz jar of roasted red peppers (about 1 cup)
4 cups grated pepper jack cheese
8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cups mayo
2 T minced onion
3 cloves garlic
1 T dijion mustard


Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don’t add moisture to the dip. Then dice ‘em up.


In a bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave so it will be easier to stir. Add in mayo, onion, garlic, and dijon. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese and the diced peppers. Place in an 8×8-ish dish (pie plate works). At this point you can pop it in the fridge if you’re going to cook it later and you can even make it a couple of days ahead of time. Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. Baking time depends on the dish. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Mine usually takes 40-45 min.


I tagged this as a New Years Eve appetizer.  Its not, but I figure if anyone wants to search for good dips, it fits into that category :)

Mom's Salsa

Ok, here it is.  The one that we have been waiting for me to post for approximately forever.  Sorry, I keep forgetting.  So here is Mom's salsa as she makes it for taco Sunday and then I will also have a reduced version of Mom's salsa.

Mom's Salsa
Ingredients:
1/4-1/2 onion (or some dried onion)
2-3 spoonfuls of garlic (if you are doing cloves it would be 6-10)
bundle of cilantro
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
7 oz green chili
1.5 jalapeño (1 is seeded, .5 is not, normally)
big + little diced tomatoes
small tomato sauce
lime juice
salt

1-Process onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, 1/2 a green pepper to almost a liquid (really, really small).  Pour into a bowl

2-Process remaining green pepper and red pepper until chunky.  Pour into the bowl.  The process tomatoes so they aren't big pieces.  Pour into the bowl.

3-Add chills, lime juice, tomato sauce and salt until it tastes right.

If you want it hotter add more jalapeños or cayenne pepper.  This normally gets hotter the longer it sits.

For a smaller batch of salsa, use these amounts:
1/4 onion (I like onion, so probably less if you don't)
1 spoonful of garlic (cloves would be about 4 I think)
1 jalapeño (1/2 with seeds and 1/2 without)
1/2 bundle of cilantro
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
4 oz green chili
1 little diced tomato (little being 15 oz)
1 small tomato sauce
lime juice
salt

Make it the same way.  This cut down version is more pepper-ish and less tomato-like, which is just fantastic for me :)

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I had a meeting for one of my committees at church a couple weeks ago and I promised them I would bring them food so we could make it through the meeting (because everyone is starving after church when it is from 12:30-3:30).  One of the things I made was this hummus and those who tried it really enjoyed it!

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/01/roasted-red-pepper-hummus/

Roasted Red Pepper HummusRecipe from The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup drained and chopped roasted red bell peppers
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (or 1/4 heaping teaspoon of red pepper flakes)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

Instructions:
Place all ingredients except for the oil and cilantro in the work bowl of a food processor or in the jar of a heavy-duty blender. Process until smooth, then add the oil in a steady stream and process until desired consistency is reached. Add the cilantro and pulse a few times until the cilantro is evenly distributed. Chill for at least an hour if possible before serving. Serve with pita chips and fresh veggies. You can also spread it on a tortilla or bagel and top with your favorite sliced veggies and turkey for a protein-packed lunch. Makes about 2 cups of hummus.

Fiesta Dip

I think we originally got this one from the Lion House cookbook, but I can't remember.  Danielle and I love this one and every year we decide we need it for New Years Eve even when we are out voted (yay go us).  I also like to eat it for dinner.

Cook 1 lb of italian sausage, drain out the grease.  Add two cream cheeses and two cans of rotel, mix well.  Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Jalapeño Popper Dip

So this is one of my most favorite things in the world, and now that we tried it for New Years Eve, I think everyone sees the wonder that it is :)

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/02/jalapeno-popper-dip/

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light works great)

1 c. mayonnaise (light also works here, but DON’T use Miracle Whip!)

1 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

1 4-oz. can fire roasted green chilies

1/2-1 4-oz. can diced jalapeno peppers*, drained
optional: 8oz bacon, cooked and crumbled

1-2 sourdough baguettes, sliced, and/or crackers

*1/2 can is mild with a little bite, a whole can is definitely on the spicy side, but if you’ve got taste buds of steel, you might prefer a 7-oz. can. 4 ounces definitely pushes the limit for my husband and I and our kids won’t touch it.

Preheat oven to 350. If using bacon, reserve 2-3 Tbs and sprinkle on top of dip before baking.  Combine cream cheese, mayo, parmesan, and garlic and stir until smooth.  Add jalapenons and green chilies.  If using bacon, stir in remaining bacon.  Spread dip into a 9″ pie plate or a small baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining bacon if using.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dip is bubbly and golden brown.

I really like it on sour dough bread that I have toasted, but we also learned that it is good on baguettes.