Last-Minute Dips for the Big Game
Monday, January 26, 2015 at 4:00AM 
By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork
Whether you’re into the game or just in it for the commercials; whether you’re hosting a party, going to a potluck, or home alone; we’ll all be noshing on snacks on Sunday, glued to the big-screen TV.
No football snacking lineup is complete without a few dips. Whether with chips or veggies, something crunchy teamed with a creamy dunk can be your menu’s MVP.
Some Dip Trivia
Dips came of age in the U.S. a decade before Super Bowl I. They emerged when cocktail parties became chic in the 1950s and required finger foods that could be consumed while milling about, cocktail glass in hand, according to Kitchen Culture, Fifty Years of Food Fads, by Gerry Schremp.
Teenagers of the time popularized dips for casual entertaining, serving them for their rock and roll dance parties, recounts the Better Homes and Gardens Golden Treasury of Cooking.
The dip that started it all was the onion dip combining Lipton dehydrated onion soup mix with sour cream. Today, the variety of dips are staggering and many now feature global flavors, with guacamole being the all-time-favorite. Nearly 120 million pounds of avocados are expected to be consumed this week, according to the Haas Avocado Board.
Easy Dips
If you're still scrambling to put your snack menu together, try these last-minute dips that start with bottled mayonnaise, with a few ingredients thrown in. Don't be afraid of anchovy paste, required in two of the recipes. Squeezed out of a tube, the paste is finer than chopped anchovies so you don't really taste the little fish – just the umami zing they provide.
These versatile dips also make great sauces to accompany pan-fried fish or grilled chicken. You can also use them as sandwich spreads to go with roast beef, turkey, burgers or canned tuna.
Each dip makes just a half cup, so you can double or triple the recipe, as needed. Make them a day ahead, if possible, to allow flavors to meld.
If you don’t have a mini-food processor, whisk by hand. To use an electric blender, double the quantity; a half cup is not enough volume for a standard blender.
Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
½ cup bottled mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped, oil-packed sun-dried tomato slices
1 clove finely minced garlic
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk smooth. Or put all ingredients into a mini-food processor and process smooth. Makes ½ cup.
Tapenade-Aioli Dip
½ cup bottled mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon chopped capers
¼ teaspoon anchovy paste
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk smooth. Or put all ingredients into a mini-food processor and process smooth. Makes ½ cup.
Green Goddess Dip
½ cup bottled mayonnaise
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley sprigs, minced
1 clove finely minced garlic clove
¼ teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced green onion or chives
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk smooth. Or put all ingredients except green onion in a mini-food processor and process smooth. Stir in green onion. Makes ½ cup.
And here are a few more favorites from the Special Fork recipe database.
- Dubliner Artichoke Dip, a hot dip made gooey with delectable Dubliner cheese
- Guacamole, the classic choice for the big game, a recipe developed by Lori Powell
- White Bean with Pistachio and Cilantro Dip, a savory dip for vegetarians and vegans
May the best team win!
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