dip Archives - Ari's Menu

Crockpot Chicken Taco Dip

October 9, 2014 · by Ari ·

Disclosure: I was asked to participate in the McCormick Gluten-Free Recipe Mixes Launch as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. I received free samples of McCormick Gluten-Free Recipe Mixes from McCormick mentioned in this post. I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.

Rich, creamy and bold chicken taco dip made easily in your slow cooker, topped with melty pepper jack. This dip is so full of flavor, you won’t be able to stay away!

I have a confession. I never make my own taco seasoning / pumpkin pie spice / tomato sauce seasonings / etc. I love to cook, but I am honestly all about convenience, and I’m a busy human who needs for things to be quick and easy when I’m cooking at home. Sometimes I feel like, because I have a food blog, I have to be one of those 100% from scratch type cooks. I just can’t live up to that. I mean, I guess I’m somewhere between that cookie dough that’s not just already made, but already cut for you and someone who churns their own butter.

Something that really surprised me when Steve found out he had a gluten intolerance was just how many things contained gluten. I mean, we’re both pretty lucky in the fact that we’re more gluten-get-grouchy than gluten intolerant (well, he is closer to intolerant, but does okay with cross contamination), but even still, so many of the seasonings that we’d used in the past contained flour–what is that about?? We learned to label check like crazy, even things you wouldn’t imagine, and it’s even more important for our friends with Celiac.

We LOVE that McCormick has some of our favorite seasoning mixes that are certified by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and they contain no MSG, artificial colors or flavors. The flavors are bold and spot on, and they make it so easy to turn a boring dinner into a flavorful one! I also love that their gluten-free products are the same price as their regular products. Eating gluten-free can get soooo expensive (hellloooo $5 for a loaf of bread…), and it’s really refreshing to finally have a product that has the same cost.

This dip couldn’t be easier–I just took some chicken breasts, a can of refried beans, a block of cream cheese and the McCormick gluten-free taco seasoning and threw ’em in the crockpot. I added some Greek yogurt after they were done cooking then topped it with pepper jack cheese that I put in the oven on broil until it got all bubbly and dreamy. The taste and the texture were absolutely amazing. I couldn’t stop eating it, and ended up eating dip for dinner. Oh well, I guess there’s worse things. 😉

Crockpot Chicken Taco Dip

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours, 5 minutes

Yield: about 9-10 cups

Crockpot Chicken Taco Dip

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast
1 x 16 ounce can refried beans (I used fat free)
3 cups salsa
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened and cut into 1" cubes
2-3 tablespoons McCormick Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 jalapeno, sliced (optional for serving)
corn tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

Place chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker. Cover with beans, salsa, cream cheese and taco seasoning. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, stirring once in between if possible.
Remove chicken and shred. Take about a tablespoon of warm dip and mix into Greek yogurt to temper, then add Greek yogurt and stir to combine.Stir in shredded chicken. Transfer to an oven safe serving dish and top with shredded cheese. Cook on broil until cheese starts to brown and bubble, about 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
Top with sliced jalapeno and serve immediately with chips. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

https://arismenu.com/crockpot-chicken-taco-dip/

Other gluten-free seasoning options include Gluten-Free Chili Seasoning, Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy, and Gluten-Free Brown Gravy. For more from McCormick, you can follow them on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

Everything Bagel & Cream Cheese Dip

September 7, 2014 · by Ari ·

Everything you love about an everything bagel and cream cheese in a creamy and addicting dip perfect for parties, get togethers, or tailgating. Tons of bold flavor, ridiculously easy, and perfect for sharing.

Have you ever noticed how quickly dips seem to disappear at a party? I always end up standing around totally hoarding the dip until it’s time to eat something more closely resembling an actual meal, and then I’m like “Whoooops…I ate my weight in dip, but I guess I’ll eat this too…”

In fact, I kinda wish I could live off snack food. I mean, not actually because I’m one of those people that needs something to be called a meal in order to feel full. I’m sure it’s mental. Either that, or it is just related to my insane hunger that is probably equivalent to a 300 pound body builder.

So I made this dip, and then I pretty much hoarded it. Well, actually, I think Steve hoarded it more than I did. I made it the day before, and he took one bite and announced that there probably wouldn’t be any left by the time people arrived the next day. He is usually pretty hard to read and says things like “Yeah, it’s good”, so I guess he really liked this one.

Although, what’s not to like? Cream cheese, garlic, onion, salt, and lots of seeds paired with perfectly crunchy bagel chips–it’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures, and it’s almost like breakfast in an appetizer.

I lightened it up with a little bit of Greek yogurt (that I promise you can’t detect, like, at all), and I ate mine with gluten-free bagel chips, but feel free to use whatever you like, or even toast up some bagels, then cut them into small pieces for dipping!

Everything Bagel & Cream Cheese Dip

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: approx 3 cups

Everything Bagel & Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients

1 pound reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup dried minced onion
4 cloves garlic, roasted and finely chopped
generous pinch sea salt
bagel chips for serving (I used gluten-free)

Instructions

Beat all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth and well combined. Serve immediately with bagel chips or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Notes

Best served at room temperature. If you refrigerate before serving, let the dip soften, then lightly beat with a hand mixer again.

https://arismenu.com/bagel-cream-cheese-dip/

Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing

June 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

Does anyone actually eat thousand island on a salad? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I find it delicious, and I absolutely love it on sandwiches, burgers, and as a dipping sauce, but on a salad? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone eat it like that.

I told Hermano I made my own thousand island, and he told me I needed to recreate the big mac. I had totally forgotten that thing even exists, but I feel like now I have to tackle it. Especially since I’m apparently obsessed with burgers lately.

I used to get thousand island on my sandwiches all the time, but I kicked the habit to the curb when I started my weight loss journey. There aren’t a lot of options at the store if you want a healthier version, and most of them are filled with ingredients I don’t want to go anywhere near, so I figured I’d try my hand at my own version.

You guys…making your own salad dressing (or sandwich dressing, or dipping sauce) is SO EASY. Seriously. There is no reason to buy this stuff. It only requires a handful of ingredients, and about 5 minutes of your time.

Nonfat plain Greek yogurt is the secret to making it thick and creamy without any fat. From there, I just added a little bit of reduced sugar ketchup (available at most grocery stores), some sweet relish, honey for added sweetness, vinegar, and some seasonings. Aside from the relish, I had all of the ingredients in my house already! And with hardly any added time, I had a delicious sandwich with sweet and creamy thousand island in minutes *hint hint*.

Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 3/4 cup

Serving Size: 2 tbsp

Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp reduced sugar ketchup
1 tbsp white vinegar
1-2 tsp honey (depending on desired sweetness)
2 tsp sweet pickle relish1 teaspoon white onion, finely minced
pinch onion powder
dash each salt and pepper

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 7-10 days. Serve completely chilled.

https://arismenu.com/fat-free-thousand-island-dressing/

Drink & Dish: Buffalo Chicken Dip {with video!}

January 29, 2013 · by Ari ·

Let’s talk for a second about making a video.

It’s, um…hard. I naively assumed that I would be great at this, You see, I’m an actor. I have a degree in musical theatre. This is what I teach people to do all day long, right??? Well, as it turns out, it’s not quite that simple. Shocking, right? But it is a whole lot of fun!

I believe it was the day that Nicole and I ran 21 miles that we decided to create our own internet cooking show. When we talk about food, we run faster. We spend a lot of time talking about food.

I think the hardest part of this process for me was that my big, ridiculous, often over-the-top personality doesn’t always translate to a tiny little camera box. Nicole kept telling me I was shouting because I’m so used to having to project on stage, haha. It’s definitely a learning process, and there are quite a few things I want to work on for the next time (like, oh…actually plugging in our microphone and shooting in the hd format…whoops…), but I am pretty proud of what we put together.

Make sure you go over to Nicole’s page to check out her recipe too!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

yield your entire party

9-11 oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
4 oz reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
2-3 tsp ranch seasoning
1/3 cup buffalo sauce (or more if you want it spicier)
bleu cheese for topping (optional)
carrots and celery for dipping

Directions:

Combine chicken, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, ranch seasoning, and buffalo sauce in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until all items are incorporated and dip is heated throughout, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve topped with crumbled bleu cheese, with carrots and celery. Dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week, and reheated or eaten cold (if you’re weird like me 😉 ).

Cake Batter Dip

April 17, 2012 · by Ari ·

Rich, creamy cake batter dip is so easy to make and a lot healthier than you’d expect!

I’ve seen this versions of delicious dip all over the internet and I knew I wanted to try it out myself.

I knew that my future sister in law’s bridal shower was the perfect opportunity! This stuff was the hit of the shower, let me tell you!

So simple, so easy, so delicious, and so not as unhealthy as it sounds! Some of the guests thought it tasted like frosting. I thought it tasted like after you put your batter in the baking pan and you stick your whole face in your mixing bowl and lick it clean. You do that too, right??? Or now you think I’m a freak and you promptly clicked the little x on this tab and made a mental note to never return. That’s okay, if you don’t lick the bowl, I’m not sure we can be friends.

This dip requires three ingredients, and about as many minutes. It’s crazy that something so delicious can be so easy! My favorite moment of the day was when my five year old niece took a bite and happily exclaimed “Yummy yummy in my tummy!!” So my friends, make this for every party you throw. Seriously.

Cake Batter Dip

1 box funfetti cake mix (or if you want to make the dip in different flavors, you can use any cake mix–carrot cake batter dip anyone??)
1 lb nonfat plain Greek yogurt
8 oz container light Cool Whip
extra sprinkles for topping (optional, but honestly, who doesn’t opt to use extra sprinkles)
pretzels, animal crackers, fruit, or several spoons for dipping

Directions:

Using a hand mixer, beat cake mix, yogurt and Cool Whip together in a large mixing bowl.
Transfer to serving bowl, and top with extra sprinkles if desired.

TAAAADDDDAAAAA!!!!