A festive dip, just in time for Christmas celebrations | Brainerd Dispatch

2022-01-03 15:54:18 By : Ms. Michelle Zeng

For many of us, the week leading up to Christmas can be one of the most hectic weeks of the year. As the holiday preparation intensifies, it’s good to have one or two recipes on hand for festive foods that are quick and easy to prepare without skimping on flavor, like this Festive Onion and Olive Cream Cheese Dip.

The main flavor-builders in this party dip are green onions, green olives and roasted red peppers — staple ingredients that many of us already have in our pantries. You can use fresh, jarred or even canned green olives and red peppers, according to your preference.

I use a variety of chop sizes for the vegetables — the green onions are finely chopped, while the roasted red peppers are roughly chopped, and I like to cut the olives into round slices. These ingredients work well together to create a dip that is full of flavor while showcasing the colors of the season.

The dip is seasoned with a basic mix of garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a splash of lemon juice is added to brighten up all the other flavors.

As the name implies, cream cheese is the binding agent for this party dip, and I use a full 8-ounce package of regular cream cheese for this recipe. I let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes first so that it softens up enough to easily mix into the dip.

A scant amount of sour cream lightens up the texture and adds a creamy tanginess to complement the smooth cream cheese. You could also use nonfat Greek yogurt in its place.

You could use an electric mixer to whip the ingredients together, but this party dip is simple enough to mix by hand using either a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It doesn’t require much time or effort to prepare and can be made several days in advance of serving.

This dip is at its best when refrigerated at least four hours before serving, as the flavors need some time to develop and meld together. In fact, if you take a taste right when you make it and then taste it again after you’ve let it chill for several hours, you won’t believe the difference that time makes on the end result.

I serve this dip at room temperature with hearty crackers like bagel chips or Triscuits, and it also makes a great schmear atop a toasted bagel or baguette.

Celebrate the season of joy with this easy and delicious recipe for Onion and Olive Cream Cheese Dip and have a very merry Christmas from our family to yours. Buon natale and god jul!

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped (about 3 onions)

1/3 cup green olives, sliced into ¼-inch rounds

1/3 cup roasted red peppers, roughly chopped

Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together until well-combined. Cover the bowl and chill for at least four hours before serving.

May be made up to 3 days ahead of serving. Serve with bagel chips or hearty crackers.