Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onion Dip

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Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onion Dip is a unique, sophisticated twist on a classic. You’ll find the bold flavors and creamy texture irresistible.

Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onion Dip is a unique, sophisticated twist on a classic favorite. You'll find the bold flavors and creamy texture irresistible.

I first made this dip years ago, back when we still lived in Oregon. I don’t even remember now what I made it for, but I remember it was the first time I’d ever made caramelized onions. It was the first time I’d roasted my own garlic, too, and I felt like quite the successful cook afterward.

I went several years before making this Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onion Dip again, but, in true foodie fashion, I thought longingly about it quite a few times. As a proud lover of both garlic and onions, I dream about this stuff. Don’t worry, though, if not all the people in your life are as fond of those ingredients as I am; the process of caramelizing the onions and roasting the garlic develops the flavors into sweeter, smoother, toned-down versions of themselves.

You can rest easy making this recipe for just about anyone.

Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onion Dip is a unique, sophisticated twist on a classic favorite. You'll find the bold flavors and creamy texture irresistible.

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20+ Irresistible Game Day Dip Recipes

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Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one – or a bunch – of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Maybe it’s the fat kid in me, but there are few things I find more comforting than relaxing with family on a Saturday, watching college football and munching all day on dips. Granted, the whole experience is much more relaxing when our team actually wins, but it’s not a bad time either way.

With college bowl season and then NFL playoffs upon us, this is the perfect time to showcase a roundup of some of the most irresistible game day dip recipes to be had on the interwebs. You can’t go wrong making a recipe, or seven, from the list here. If you try of them, be sure to leave a comment letting the blogger know what you thought!

Irresistible Game Day Dip Recipes

Cheesy Goodness

Cheesy dips are always a hit, and these recipes are no exception.

Cheesy Chicken Poblano Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Green Chile White Queso Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Copycat Torchy’s Tacos Queso Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Southern Pimento Cheese

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Creamy Cheese & Bacon Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Game Day Queso

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

 

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Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

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Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

I hosted some family at our house several weeks ago and, as I’m sure is typical with most foodies, I spent an inordinate amount of time determining the menu. It was an early afternoon event, so I put together a small menu of appetizers and finger foods. It took some finagling to get what I considered to be the perfect balance of sweet and savory, light and heavy, but every dish was a hit, including this Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

Fruit dips, in my opinion, tend to have a bad reputation. A lot of people think of the sickeningly sweet store-bought version. You know the kind I’m talking about: the little tub that’s nearly grainy in texture? There’s nothing wrong with choosing that option in a pinch, but it can’t begin to compare to my Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip. This stuff is rich — duh, it’s got cream cheese and heavy cream in it — but the unsweetened cocoa powder provides a hint of bitterness that is offset by the sweet fruit. This recipe is perfect for making in advance to lighten your day-of load.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip

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A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

You can file this one under “recipes I should have posted years ago.” I first made this chocolate peanut butter cheesecake protein dip as a snack for my husband. He’s a picky eater, but he loves Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and apples. He’d often eat a serving of yogurt, as well as a sliced apple dipped in powdered peanut butter (mixed with water per serving instructions). One day it hit me that I could mix the powdered peanut butter with the yogurt and it’d probably taste pretty similar to cheesecake (another food J loves).

I was right. This stuff isn’t good for a healthy dip; it’s just good. One serving contains nine grams of protein and, depending on the brand of powdered peanut butter you buy, it’s gluten free, too. In addition, the recipe is low in carbs and calories and contains plenty of healthy fat.

Unsure what powdered peanut butter is? It’s exactly what it sounds like: peanuts are made into powder instead of fat-laden butter. Most peanut powders contain around 85 percent less fat than their butter counterparts. They also have healthy fiber and protein.

A healthy two ingredient snack that tastes like a sinful dessert? Yup! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Protein Dip is as good for you as it is delicious.

[Read more…]

Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip

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Warm, cheesy, melty, and perfectly spicy,  Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip is the perfect easy, crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipe for your next party (or regular Friday night).

Warm, cheesy, melty, and perfectly spicy, Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip is the perfect easy, crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipe for your next party (or regular Friday night).

We had yet another school staff party a few weeks ago, this time celebrating our sweet school nurse and our rock star high school counselor. The Creamy Cheese and Bacon Dip and S’mores Cheesecake Bars I’d made the week before were both huge hits, so I knew I had a lot to live up to.

This jalapeño popper dip is something I’ve wanted to make forever. I love real jalapeño poppers, so I knew there was no way I wouldn’t love an easy dip version. Also, I knew it’d be moderately spicy enough to appeal to a variety of preferences. Besides, who can resist a dish of oozy, melted cheese?

No one, it seems, because this jalapeño popper dip was gone by the end of the day. The secret to taking the dip over-the-top is the crunchy, cheesy topping. Breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese are tossed with melted butter and sprinkled over the cream cheese mixture. The whole thing is baked, resulting in a crispiness that mimics the real fried version.

Warm, cheesy, melty, and perfectly spicy, Creamy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip is the perfect easy, crowd-pleasing, make-ahead recipe for your next party (or regular Friday night).

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Creamy Cheese and Bacon Dip

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Got a party? Game night? A regular Tuesday? No matter where you’re going or what you’re in the mood for, Creamy Cheese and Bacon Dip is the perfect answer.

Got a party? Game night? A regular Tuesday? No matter where you're going or what you're in the mood for, Creamy Cheese and Bacon Dip is the perfect answer.

We had a staff potluck at school the other day, also known as the perfect excuse to try a fun new recipe and pass the calories along to my coworkers. I typically bring two recipes to these shindigs because J and I teach at the same high school. Of course I had to make something sweet, but I wanted to make a yummy savory dip, too.

This recipe had me at bacon and cheese. The original version called for all mayonnaise, but I’m not a huge fan, so I included sour cream, too. I found the whole thing a little bland when it was all mixed up, but a few dashes of hot sauce a little garlic salt did the trick.

My Creamy Cheese and Bacon Dip was a hit at the staff party! The bowl was empty by the end of the day, even though I doubled the recipe. It went quickly with the Town House crackers I brought along. One of the office secretaries spread some on a biscuit and raved about the results; clearly, this stuff would be amazing on pretty much anything.

Got a party? Game night? A regular Tuesday? No matter where you're going or what you're in the mood for, Creamy Cheese and Bacon Dip is the perfect answer.

[Read more…]

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

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Packed with creamy flavor, this cheesy Mexican corn dip is the perfect easy appetizer for your next party, and it’s perfect for enjoying on game day.

Packed with creamy flavor, this cheesy Mexican corn dip is the perfect easy appetizer for your next party, and it's perfect for enjoying on game day.

This dip is kind of a big deal. By big deal, I mean it’s crazy addictive and I may or might not have eaten as a meal on more than one occasion. But corn is a vegetable, so it’s all good, right?

My mother-in-law has been making this recipe for several years; it doesn’t feel like a real game-watching gathering until the cheesy Mexican corn dip appears. I love college football, especially when the Bulldogs are playing, but I’d be lying if I said this dip- along with brown sugar bacon-wrapped sausages– isn’t the reason I look forward to Saturdays.

Like so many great dip recipes, this one couldn’t be easier to make. If you buy pre-shredded cheese, the only real prep you have to do is dicing the green onions. You can make that step even easier by cutting them with kitchen shears. When that’s done, all that stands between you and this lovely dip is a little bit of mixing.

The recipe is ready to be served immediately, but we think it tastes even better when the flavors get a chance to hang out in the fridge for a while. Make it the night before your party or game and you’ll have one less thing to worry about the day of.

Packed with creamy flavor, this cheesy Mexican corn dip is the perfect easy appetizer for your next party, and it's perfect for enjoying on game day.

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Tomato Black Bean Avocado Dip

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Tomato black bean avocado dip is an easy, healthy, and crowd-pleasing recipe that’s as perfect for an afternoon snack as it is for your next party.

Tomato black bean avocado dip is an easy, healthy, and crowd-pleasing recipe that's as perfect for an afternoon snack as it is for your next party.

My mom made this tomato black bean avocado dip, among other things, for my little sister’s high school graduation party last June. There’ some sort of magic that goes into this recipe because, I have to confess, I don’t even care much for tomatoes, avocados, or black beans. Despite that, I could.not.stop. eating this stuff. If that isn’t the sign of a great recipe, I don’t know what is.

There was plenty of other killer food there that day, including cinnamon roll bars with cream cheese frosting and a few other as-yet-unblogged recipes, but I kept coming back to this tomato black bean avocado dip. I enjoyed it with tortilla strips, but I can imagine how great it would be on pita, nachos, or tacos. Basically, it’s a dip and a condiment in one. I won’t even judge you for going after it with just a fork. It’s healthy enough you can do that guilt-free.

Tomato black bean avocado dip is an easy, healthy, and crowd-pleasing recipe that's as perfect for an afternoon snack as it is for your next party.

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Green Chile White Queso Dip

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #GameTimeHosting  #CollectiveBias

It isn’t game day without a big bowl of this quick and easy, perfectly spicy, melted cheese goodness known as green chile white queso dip.

It isn't game day without a big bowl of this quick and easy, perfectly spicy, melted cheese goodness known as green chile white queso dip.

School is officially back in session for a lot of the country, including us Mississippians. As a teacher, there’s pretty much only one thing that makes me eager to leave behind lazy summer days in favor of going back to work: The allure of fall. It’s right around the corner and, were it not for the oppressive humidity that’s a mainstay in The South this time of year, I’d probably be able to feel it.

It isn't game day without a big bowl of this quick and easy, perfectly spicy, melted cheese goodness known as green chile white queso dip.

In addition to cooler fall temperatures, I’m looking forward to cozy sweatshirts, all things pumpkin, and, most of all, football season.

We’re just about as stereotypical as you might imagine football fans in The South to be. I can just about guarantee we’ll be cheering on our team in person if they’re playing at home, and we catch most every away game on TV. It isn’t just the game itself that’s important, though; it’s the whole ritual of gathering with family and grazing on favorite foods throughout the day.

It isn't game day without a big bowl of this quick and easy, perfectly spicy, melted cheese goodness known as green chile white queso dip.

Because you can’t really have a game day celebration without a dip or three, I made this green chile white queso dip. It’s quick to prepare and is basically a block of shredded white cheddar cheese with a few additional ingredients to make it a smooth, flavorful dip. This cheese dip is best enjoyed right after it’s made, so I love to pair it with some easy make-ahead options, like baked chicken taquitos, double chocolate brownies, or spinach and artichoke dip.

While I was at Family Dollar grabbing some game day staples, like Coca-Cola™, I found Wise Nacho Cheese Tortilla chips that ended up being so good dipped in this queso. Like, insanely good. [Read more…]

Spinach and Artichoke Hot Dip

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This is not your average dip. Served warm and beefed up with artichoke hearts, garlic, and the beautiful saltiness of Parmesan cheese, this spinach and artichoke hot dip is hearty enough to be a meal. That’s a good thing, because you won’t want to stop eating it.

This is not your average dip. Served warm and beefed up with artichoke hearts, garlic, and the beautiful saltiness of Parmesan cheese, this spinach and artichoke hot dip is hearty enough to be a meal. That's a good thing, because you won't want to stop eating it.

Late October/early November is shaping up to be a sports lover’s dream. It seems like there’s some sporting event or another on TV just about every night of the week. We’re big Mississippi State fans in my house (#HailState), but we’ve usually got one game or another going on Saturdays.

This spinach and artichoke hot dip is the perfect companion for game day. It’s super easy to prepare, and it’s served warm, a nice departure from other dips. The dip is hearty and packed with flavorful ingredients like garlic, Rotel tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. The whole thing gets melted in the oven, resulting in a gooey appetizer that’s filling enough to double as a meal.

My mother-in-law threw this together several weeks back while my sister-in-law and I were doing some freezer cooking. It was beautiful when it came out of the oven, with its golden bread crumb topping and flavor-packed creaminess. It didn’t matter that spinach and artichokes aren’t usually my thing. It turns out I’ll eat pretty much any vegetable, given that it’s bathed in some form of cheese and flavored with garlic.

We couldn’t stop sampling this dip as we cooked. When they left- and took the dish of dip with them- I saved myself a generous portion and proceeded to eat nearly the entire thing for lunch. I feel no shame about it because 1. Spinach and 2. It was so freaking good.

This is not your average dip. Served warm and beefed up with artichoke hearts, garlic, and the beautiful saltiness of Parmesan cheese, this spinach and artichoke hot dip is hearty enough to be a meal. That's a good thing, because you won't want to stop eating it.

[Read more…]