Party dip

I’m sure many of you are thinking ahead to Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 3.

You might not be rooting for either of the teams, but you still want to enjoy the game, the half-time show, the commercials and — of course — the food!

I know for many people, Super Bowl Sunday food means a big pot of chili simmering on the stove. But at my house, we’ve always enjoyed making a variety of dips and finger foods to enjoy during the game. Sometimes we try new recipes, and other times we just rely on tried-and-true favorites.

This year, I’m sure my son and I will be making a dip recipe we first made on New Year’s Eve.

Robert found the recipe for bacon, cheddar and potato dip in a Better Homes and Garden Publication of slow cooker recipes from last winter, and he knew right away it would be a hit in our family of potato-lovers, especially once you’ve added cheese and bacon. How can you miss with those ingredients, right?

The recipe isn’t complicated, but it does take a little prep work. The potatoes have to be peeled, cooked and mashed, and the bacon has to be cooked. We used pre-cooked bacon that we warmed in the microwave to crisp. After that, it’s a matter of mixing the ingredients and letting them warm in the slow cooker for a few hours. You’ll love the aroma as the dip warms!

This was the first time I had used the Kraft product cream cheese for cooking, and I had very good results.

The dip, which we chose to serve with baked ridge potato chips, tastes very much like a double baked potato. It’s a filling dip and would be a hearty accompaniment to a table lined with a variety of dips and appetizers.

There was quite a bit of dip left over that my husband and son were happy to warm and eat the next day.


Bacon, Cheddar and Potato Dip

• 2 1/4 pounds Yukon gold or other yellow-flesh potatoes, peeled and quartered*
• 4 slices hickory- or applewood-smoked bacon
• 1 10-ounce carton original flavor cream cheese for cooking
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (2)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• Potato chips or sweet pepper wedges

In a covered large saucepan cook potatoes in enough boiling, slightly salted water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Cool and drain bacon on paper towels. Crumble bacon; reserve 1 tablespoon of the crumbled bacon for topping.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining crumbled bacon, cream cheese for cooking, 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese, the sour cream, green onions and garlic salt. Press cooked potatoes through a ricer onto the cheese mixture; stir gently to combine. Spoon the potatoes mixture into a 11/2- or 2-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for about 2 hours or until heated through.

Top dip with the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and the reserved bacon. Serve immediately or keep warm, covered, on warm or low-heat setting for up to 2 hours. Serve with potato chips.

Makes 48 2-tablespoon servings.


Better Homes and Gardens' "Creative Slow Cooker Recipes"


*NOTES: We made several changes. We used red potatoes, because that's what I normally have, and pre-cooked bacon that we warmed in the microwave. I don't have a ricer, so I mashed the potatoes as I would for regular mashed potatoes, leaving them slightly lumpy at my family's request. We also mixed in all of the cheese and bacon at the beginning rather than reserving some for the topping.