For my annual December cookie party I always make sure to have some savory snacks to offset all the sweetness. For my last party I made two spreads – Pimento Cheese and Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread – and a dip – Dill Dip.
I liked all three of them, but I must say, the dill dip is very nostalgic for me, this was my mom’s go-to dip for every party we had, and I ended up making another whole batch of it as soon as the leftovers from the first batch were eaten up. So good.. on everything.. vegetables, crackers, even spread onto sandwiches. Actually, I remember spreading the leftover pimento cheese on sandwiches too! And Dallas, of course, loved the blue cheese spread. Blue cheese is his favorite! So, take your pick with these, they’re all great.
Pimento Cheese
From: All Recipes
1 1/2 cups shredded processed American cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (2 ounce) jar chopped pimento peppers
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 dash garlic powder
In a bowl, mix the processed American cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos. Season with onion powder, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Cover, and chill until ready to serve.
Note: I used shredded cheddar and reduced fat cream cheese and mayo and it was great.
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Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread
From: Martha Stewart
4-ounce bar of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 ounces (1 cup) cold crumbled blue cheese, such as Stilton
In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese with a wooden spoon until softened. Mix in walnuts; season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in blue cheese, breaking up as little as possible. Transfer mixture to a small bowl; smooth top. Serve with crackers or crostini. To store: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, up to 1 week.
Note: This was sooooo thick, you couldn’t spread it at all, so I thinned it out to a good consistency by mixing in sour cream, just a little at a time. Worked great!
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Dill Dip
From: Memory (with the aide of recipes from Yummily and All Recipes)
1 c mayonnaise
1 c sour cream
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp grated onion
1 Tbsp dried dill weed
2 tsp bon appetit seasoning
In a medium bowl mix all together, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
