8 dips to make for Super Bowl Sunday
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A good dip should whet the appetite, a great dip could be lunch, and an excellent dip is really dinner. A very wise person once offered this bit of priceless dip lore. Or maybe it was just me. Either way, the act of dunking a vegetable cut to resemble a log — or a chip, cracker or crunchy vessel of your choosing — into a dip-like substance is one of the most pleasurable ways to enjoy a meal.
No one understands this better than Alyse Whitney, the undisputed dip queen and author of the book “Big Dip Energy: 88 Parties in a Bowl for Snacking, Dinner, Dessert and Beyond!”
“The idea of big dip energy is having a magnetic personality that draws people to you like chips to a bowl of dip,” Whitney says. “If you are socially awkward, if you don’t know anyone at a party, just go to the dip and start a conversation. You can dip in together. The only thing you don’t do is double dip.”
In Whitney’s book, there are recipes for both sweet and savory dips, dippers (the stuff you dip with) and dips I promise you’ve never dreamed of. Saag paneer, banh mi sandwiches, pizza and even guava cheesecake are all transformed into dip-able dishes.
Whitney says her “dip epiphany” happened at 10 years old, when she saw her mom put together a seven-layer dip. By the time she was a teenager, she was coming up with her own dip recipes.
“I hosted an ‘O.C.’ fan club in high school and I would eat dips with my friends and watch the show,” she says. “When I moved to New York, I hosted Dipmas. I once had 36 people in my studio apartment and I started doing a big tablescape and labeling the dips.”
While any of the 88 dips in Whitney’s book could work for the Super Bowl (or any gathering), she suggests making a reinvented ranch dip she calls Cranch.
“It’s an extra creamy ranch made with cream cheese instead of just sour cream or mayonnaise,” she says. “You use two full packets of ranch seasoning for extra flavor.”
Whitney’s Cranch is listed as one of her “5-minute dips” in her book, but it really takes three. You combine a block of cream cheese with a cup of mayonnaise and 2 packets of ranch seasoning mix. Then add two grated garlic cloves, four cranks of black pepper and one teaspoon of sugar. Give it a good mix and you’re done.
To turn it into a Buffalo chicken Cranch, add a couple of tablespoons of whole milk and half a cup of Buffalo sauce (preferably Frank’s Red Hot), then microwave the mixture for a couple of minutes.
She actually has seven variations of Cranch, including the Buffalo, chili crunch and everything (seasoned with everything bagel seasoning). And Whitney suggests serving any of the Cranch variations alongside a chicken tender or nugget, vegetable ribbons, any ridged chips, bell peppers, pretzels or Bugles.
Or if you’re looking to keep things really simple, there’s always former cooking columnist Ben Mims’ fried onion-chili crisp dip. I’ve made it more times than any other recipe this paper has ever published.
Here are a few more dip ideas to get the party started.
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Spicy California Roll Guacamole
This is my personal favorite from Whitney’s book. Her spicy California roll guacamole turns the popular sushi filling into a dip. She uses imitation crab, Kewpie mayonnaise and Sriracha to mimic the flavors of a California roll and layers it onto a smooth guacamole with plenty of fried shallots for a satisfying crunch.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.
Kismet’s Pickley Cheesy Greens
Kismet chefs Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer have combined the classic creamed spinach side with spinach dip and pickles to create the perfect party appetizer. It’s cheesy, with plenty of greens and the addictive tang of pickles. You can prepare the dip (just leave off the panko topping) a few days ahead and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake just before the party. This recipe is from the book “Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes.”
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 50 minutes. Serves 4.
Pimento Queso Dip
Mims is a wizard at dreaming up dip flavor combinations. For this dip, he combines the flavors of pimento cheese with his take on a Tex-Mex queso. To give it that extra velvety texture, he uses Velveeta cheese. And to keep things simple, he calls for jarred pimento peppers.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 mintes. Makes 3 cups.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Dip
Another one of Mims’ party dips, this is a spin on the classic Buffalo chicken dip and lemon pepper chicken wings. Fresh lemon zest and black pepper lighten up the cheesy dip and the base is made from both cream cheese and feta. If you don’t have any cooked chicken on hand, feel free to shred a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45. Serves 6 to 8.
Roasted Zucchini and Labneh Dip With Mint
This cool, refreshing dip is made by blending labneh and yogurt with garlic and plenty of roasted zucchini. Half dip, half spread, it’s great on pita and ideal for crudite.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour. Serves 4.
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
Former cooking editor Genevieve Ko came up with a plant-based take on the popular spinach and artichoke dip. She uses Marcona almonds as the base, relying on the nut’s high fat content to help add body and richness to the dip. And to save a little time, you can use fresh, canned or jarred artichokes.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
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