Fall Squash & Goat Cheese Dip with Garlic Toasts

Everyone loves a good dip.  For most of us, dip recipes are at the center of our entertaining repertoires.  For the Pumpkin Harvest Fall Entertaining Workshop, I made this hot, creamy goat cheese dip that features squash... and my favorite part - a squash bowl.

The dip is great, but the garlic toasts were really the star in my workshop.  I toast a sliced baguette them for 2 minutes under the broiler, then rub them with a raw clove of garlic.  You won't believe how good.

creamy goat cheese
Squash Dip
  
2 blocks of cream cheese, softened
4 ounces of goat cheese, softened
3 green onions, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
1 small hubbard squash

Cut a hubbard squash in half.  Place both pieces of the squash on a baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Leave one half to use as bowl.  Scoop out 1/2 cup of flesh from the other piece of cooked squash.  Mash it with a fork.  Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, goat cheese, green onions, garlic, sea salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of cooked, mashed squash.  Mix until combined.  Spoon mixture into the ‘bowl’ piece of the squash.  Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Creamy Caramelized Onion Dip

I'm not sure there is anything more useful in the entertaining world than a good, go-to dip recipe.  This Creamy Caramelized Onion Dip is mine.  It is an old favorite I'm revisiting after our trip to Seaside.

Mike and I had message treatments on one of the rain days at the Watercolor Inn's spa.  After our services we treated ourselves to lunch at the Inn.  We ordered Bloody Mary's and a Mahi Mahi sandwich, but after the bloody mary's came out and before the sandwich, they brought around their "snack of the day" that happened to be a caramelized onion dip served with amazing warm and toasty (maybe even fried...?) pita wedges. 

When I made this dip in my catering days I would usually serve it with a vegetable platter.  Yes, crunchy vegetables are a great accompaniment to this dip, but I'll tell you, toasty pita is fantastic.

The dip is starts with cream cheese, just as all great dips do.  Then, sweet caramelized onions and a little heat from a pinch of cayenne pepper make it so addicting.

Caramelized Onion Dip
with toasted pita


2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large red onion
1 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup of sour cream
4 green onions
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

Begin by caramelizing the onions in a saute pan in olive oil and butter.  You do this by cooking them at a medium high heat until soft (about 3 minutes) then lowing the heat for about 10 minutes stirring every couple of minutes until the color changes to a soft brown color.  Be careful not to over caramelize - they will turn black in a minute or two!  You can do this step ahead of time.

In a mixer (or by hand), cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, caramelized onion, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Turn on oven broiler.

For pita, cut soft whole pita breads into 8 wedges.  Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Place them under the broiler for 2 minutes, then flip them over with a spatula and repeat on the other side.  Sprinkle a little sea salt over them when they come out of the oven.  Serve pita warm.

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip with Vegetables

I think everyone loves crab rangoon.  Except my Dad, now that I think about it.  In fact, he doesn't like cream cheese at all- can you imagine?  Anyway, I'm quite sure that everyone else in the world, or more importantly, everyone at your at your next party will love this Crab Rangoon Dip.  Yes, you could serve it with fried wontons if you really want to do it, but I like it with crisp, fresh vegetables.  

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip
with crisp cool vegetables

2 small (4 oz.) cans of crab meat
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
8 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
chives (or green onions) for garnish

serve with :
carrots
cucumbers
celery
pita chips
fried wontons

In a mixer, combine soften cream cheese with sour cream, green onions, worcestershire and garlic.  Mix until combined.  Drain the crab from the excess liquid in the can.  Add the crab meat and stir it into the mixture.  Place in an oven proof bowl.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

For the complete menu and all of the recipes from my Ladies Night Patio Party, click here!

Creamy Spinach Dip | Game Day Recipes

Game Day is not complete without a chips and dips.  My favorite dip of all time is Classic Creamy Spinach Dip.  You can make so many variations of this - add artichokes, crab, red pepper, etc.  It is surprisingly simple to make - just takes 10 minutes.  I also like to serve it with sour cream and salsa with tortilla chips.

Creamy Spinach Dip

Always the First to Go

4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 white onion, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 package of frozen chopped spinach
2 cups of heavy cream
2 - 8oz. blocks of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper
1 bag of tortilla chips

In a saute pan, saute garlic and onion in olive oil until the onions are transparent.  Squeeze out water from spinach, then add it to the garlic and onion and continue to cook for a minute or two.  Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 3-5 minutes until cream slightly thickens.  Stir in cream cheese and parmesan until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm with chips.  If you make it ahead of time, transfer it to a baking dish and heat in a 350 degree oven for 15-25 minutes until bubbly. 

Let the cream boil and thicken.

 Stir in the cream cheese and parmesan cheese.  If it is too thick, add milk or more heavy cream.

 

The Creamy Spinach Dip Recipe is part of my Game Day Menu.  Get all of the Game Day recipes & tips here >>