These days I couldn't be happier. Football season is back and all the tradition and pageantry of the sport is in full swing. And of course that includes tail-gating, that All-American celebration of sport and wretched excess. I was curious what Chef Jerry Pellegrino might have to offer to the party?
Before the grill gets all fired up and the ribeye’s are cooking, there's a time when you can satisfy your appetite with something simple like chips and dips.
So with that in mind, Jerry came up with several great dip recipes.
Tailgating
Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
4 celery ribs cut into ¼ inch dice
1/2 cup Frank's RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except the scallions and breadcrumbs. Spoon into shallow 1-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs.
BAKE 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired, and serve with chips, crackers and/or cut up veggies.
Pub Beer Cheese Dip
16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 scsllion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon smoked Paprika
½ cup beer
Place the cheddar, cream cheese, scallion, garlic, Worcestershire, Dijon, hot sauce and paprika in a food processor. Process until smooth, you may need to scrape down the sides and process it a few times to get smooth.
Turn the processor on and start streaming in the beer through the top of the food processor until smooth and silky.
Nashville Hot Chicken Dip
8-oz.block cream cheese, softened
2 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 tbsp. hot sauce (such as Cholula)
1 tbsp. cayenne
2 tsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt
12 oz. fresh or frozen breaded chicken, prepared and cubed
1/3 c. pickle chips, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1¾ cup mozzarella, mayo, sour cream, green onions, hot sauce, cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, and garlic powder. Season with salt. Gently fold in almost all of the cooked chicken, reserving about 1/4 cup for topping. Fold until just combined.
Transfer dip to a medium baking dish or skillet and top with remaining cheese. Add the rest of the chicken to the center of the dip and bake until bubbly and slightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes. When dip is ready, garnish with green onions and pickles and serve cut up brioche toast or toasted white bread.
