Dip it, Dip it Good.

Some foods I always see at parties are chips and dips. Any salty sweet combination is a good buffer before any meal. The guests have something to snack on as they drink and wait on the main attraction. Dips can be done quickly and for low cost. I wanted to take this appetizer up a notch. Instead of buying something I wanted to do it all from scratch.

I needed some dip for my Christmas party that was different from tradition. I always like trying new thinks on the family because they are so open to try my food. As a friend of mine says, “you can make dirt taste good.” This boosts my confidence to try anything I can. They will give me honest feedback when I play with unique flavors.

Using a little seasonal inspiration I came up with a baked ricotta cheese dip topped with a cranberry sauce and a jack-fruit buffalo cream cheese dip.

Ricotta Cheese Dip

I went a little extra here and made my own ricotta cheese. It is so simple you will never by it again.

Ricotta Cheese                      (4:1 ratio always)

Whole Milk                            4 cups

Buttermilk                              1 cup

• This batch makes about a ½-1 cup of cheese. They more you practice this technique the higher yield you will get.
• Heat milk to a boil. Right when it happens remove from heat. Don't let milk scald.
• Pour in buttermilk 

Make The Dip

Italian Herbs                           2 Tablespoons

Honey                                    ¼ cup

• Mix all together in a bowl and poor into sprayed 6” glass baking dish. 
• Bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes. 
• The center will be set and the whole thing will have a slight solid jiggle.

Printable Ricotta Dip

Top with Cranberry Sauce

Fresh cranberries                     1 bag

Sugar                                      ½ cup

Salt                                          1 dash

Cinnamon                                1 tablespoon

• Heat all ingredients on stove top until sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.
• Stir as occasionally to reduce chance of scalding. 

Jackfruit Buffalo Dip

Jackfruit, meat (smoked 4 hours)                           3 cups, chopped

Cream Cheese                                                        1 ½ pounds

Buffalo or hot sauce To Taste                                 I used ¼ cup of wing sauce

• Mix all ingredients and put in crock pot. 
• Allow to heat until 145°F keep warm to serve.

Printable Buffalo Dip

With every good dip there is an even better chip. Alone they are fun snacks together they are a happy marriage. I opted to not buy chips but to make . These can add a little extra flavor with little effort needed.

• You take a French baguette loaf slice at an angle about ¼” thick. 
• Brush with some olive oil, dust with salt and pepper. 
• Bake at 325°F for 5-10 minutes. 
• You will see some light color, but the bread becomes crunchy like a crouton.

I really enjoyed making these appetizers. It gave the party a non traditional treat that seemed to wow the crowd. I will say next time I would add shredded cheese to the ricotta. I think it would have made the dip creamier instead of so solid. It was interesting that my final buffalo dip looked like cheese sauce. The texture was creamy and the flavor was bold and smoky. I couldn’t have asked for better people to share my ideas with.