Delicious Dips for Your Football Party

One of the few good things about summer coming to an end is a weekly event that most of us celebrate surrounded by friends and family, yelling at the TV and eating a buffet of finger foods. Of course I'm talking about a football party (GO GIANTS!!!) but even if you don't watch football you can still enjoy these delicious dip recipes for any other event you choose.

Tasty Taco Dip

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
1 lb. ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 small head of lettuce (shredded)
3 to 4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 (6 oz.) can black olives (optional)

Blend the cream cheese and sour cream and mix until it is a smooth consistency. Use a spatula to smooth a layer of this mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish (or a 9x13 baking pan.)

Brown the beef, drain the grease, then add the taco seasoning and prepare according to the directions. Spread the beef into the pan, creating a second layer. (Optional, before adding the beef you may also want to combine the beef with a container of salsa.)

Top the beef with cheese, then lettuce, tomatoes, and black olives.

Serve with Doritos or Tortilla chips. (For those that prefer to make a basic taco dip without the sour cream and cream cheese mixture, it's a good idea to put out a container of sour cream alongside a bottle of taco sauce or salsa for guests that prefer these toppings.)

Wonderful Chicken Wing Dip

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked and shredded or chunked)
Chicken wing sauce (hot sauce will work too, but quality chicken wing sauce is unmatched)
1 package shredded cheese (your preference)
Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing

Spread a layer of cream cheese in the bottom of a casserole dish or 9x13 pan. In a separate dish, mix the chicken with chicken wing sauce and create a second layer over the cream cheese with this mixture. Pour blue cheese dressing over the chicken*, then top with a final layer of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with chips or crackers.

*Another option is to skip the layer of blue cheese dressing and serve this on the side.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
2 ounces canned diced jalapenos, drained
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Stir mayo into cream cheese until smooth, then add the chile and jalapeno peppers. Stir again until well blended then top with parmesan cheese. To cook, you can either microwave for 3 minutes (for a quick snack) or bake for 30 minutes (until cheese is browned) at 375 degrees. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or sliced sourdough baguettes.