Recipe - Cream Cheese Dip
My husband, Gary, came up with this dip a while ago and he has adapted it to be a little healthier. It's really hard to say just how many servings this would be since you can use it in so many ways. The total calorie count is about 300-400 for the whole dish depending on what variations you may make or add to the recipe, so I will just say that this will serve 6-10 people.
This dip may be served warm or cold, with chips, crackers, bagels or veggies.
Main dip recipe
- 1 - 8 oz. package of fat free cream cheese (softened)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons dried chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried jalapeno powder/flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 2-3 dashes of hot pepper sauce
Soften cream cheese on the counter for an hour or in the microwave for a few seconds. Mix the water with the cream cheese until smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients to the cream cheese mixture and mix well. Cover and rest in refrigerator for at least 6-8 hours. This is best when made the night before eating so that the flavors have time to blend together.
Variations:
- Add 2 tablespoons of bacon bits
- Add 1 serving of dried beef which has been diced
- Add 1-3 ounces of imitation crab meat that has been flaked into smaller pieces
- Add one small can of real crab meat, drained
- Add one small can of tiny shrimp, drained
- Add 1-3 ounces of your favorite shredded cheese like cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan or gouda (best for a warm dip)
If you have trouble finding dried jalapeno flakes or powder (we get ours at the farmer's market from a spice vendor), you can substitute jalapeno juice or even dice some jalapenos very small. Start with 1/4 teaspoon of juice and go up depending on your taste.
Gary uses the dried herbs and vegetables because the flavors are a little more intense and seem to be better suited to this type of dip.
A 3x5 card version of this recipe can be found here.