Beer Cheese Dip

Beer Cheese Dip (slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes, Servings: 15, Total Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel cream cheese, softened

·         ¼ cup ranch dressing

·         1 cup shredded taco/nacho cheese

·         ¼ cup beer

·         2 green onions, chopped (white parts only)

Directions

1.)    Beat cream cheese and dressing in medium bowl until well-blended.

2.)    Stir in remaining ingredients.

3.)    Refrigerate until chilled.

I was a little hesitant to try this recipe after reading some of the reviews, but I’m glad that I took the plunge.  It was delicious!  I normally would have used fat-free or light ranch dressing, but I didn’t want to mess up the recipe, so I stayed with full-fat.  I also used taco/nacho cheese instead of shredded, I thought that a little Mexican-flavor couldn’t fail.  Finally, I used Yuengling Light beer to keep the dip from being overpowered by a beer taste.  In the future, I’ll probably stick with this, although I’d be tempted to try something else a little more full-bodied (maybe regular Yuengling or an Amber Lager).

The taste was mostly ranchy Mexican – a little hint of spice, a lot of cheese, and a good bite of ranch.  I couldn’t taste the beer, but it did make it very creamy and easy to spread on crackers.  I chopped the onions very small and I think that added just a hint of onion flavor – I don’t even think that I’d notice them if I hadn’t made the dip.

This went over really well with my party attendees. My mom even asked for the recipe!  Awesome!  Unfortunately, there were no leftovers.

Chickpea & Feta Dip

Chickpea & Feta Dip (from Kraft Recipes, Total Time: 15 minutes, Servings: 24 servings of 2 Tbsp. each)

Ingredients

·         2 cans (15 oz. each) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed

·         2/3 cup  crumbled Feta Cheese, divided

·         1/3 cup drained roasted red pepper strips, divided

·         1 clove  garlic

·         3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

·         1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

·         Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1.      Place chickpeas, ½ cup cheese, ¼ cup peppers and next 4 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth.

2.       Spoon into serving bowl. Top with remaining cheese and peppers.

I made this as an appetizer for a Progressive Dinner in my neighborhood.  I served with various crudités (celery, carrots, pepper strips, etc.) for a healthy option during our Dinner; I also used fat-free feta to help cut back on some fat and calories.  I find the consistency to be more of a spread than a dip, and it was a little dry and clumpy, not creamy like hummus.  It tasted overwhelmingly like chickpeas, I would have liked a little more of a feta or red pepper taste.  I do not plan to make this dish again, but feel free to try your hand at it!

Salsa Roll Ups

Salsa Roll Ups (slightly adapted from Kraft Foods, approx. 10 servings depending on size of cut, Total Time: 10 min.)

Always a hit!

Ingredients

·         4 oz.  (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese, softened

·         3 T.  Salsa (chunky style works well)

·         ½ cup  Mexican Style shredded cheese Four Cheese

·         ½ tsp.  chili powder

·         4 flour tortillas (6 inch) – I used sourdough wraps

Directions

1.      Mix first four ingredients and spread on tortillas.

2.      Roll up tortillas tightly. Cut each crosswise into 5 slices.

Another recipe that you can add or detract to depending on your taste.  I used Medium Salsa (probably about 4 T), but you can always use Mild or Hot depending on your comfort level.  I also used taco cheese, which added a little zing to the dish.  Adding a little cumin or cayenne would also put a nice spin on things.  At a picnic I brought this to, guests loved the spicy kick.  It is fairly healthy with calories, protein, and carbs for a snack/appetizer.    

When spreading the mixture on the tortillas, make sure that you leave some room around the edges for any run-off.

BBQ Black Bean Salsa

BBQ Black Bean Salsa (slightly adapted from Kraft Foods, 24 servings – 2 T servings, Total Time: 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 can  (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed

·         4 ears of corn on the cobb, husked and de-silked

·         ½ cup  Barbecue Sauce

·         ¾ cup  Medium Salsa

Directions

1.      Put corn in a large pot of water.  Bring to boil and cook for 4-5 minutes.

2.      Let cooked corn cool, then cut kernels off cobb.

3.      Mix all ingredients until well blended. Serve with tortilla chips.

A hit at a picnic that I went to recently.  A great low calorie, no fat option (at least without the chips!).  I have made it before with canned and frozen corn, but nothing tastes better than fresh corn.  A great mix of healthy ingredients that mix together to make a tasty, slightly spicy dish.  You can play around with the BBQ to salsa to chili powder ratio to meet your personal tastes.  If you do want to kick things up a notch, I suggest Hot Salsa or cayenne pepper.