You may be a diehard football fan and could care less what you eat along with your beer during the game. But I guarantee there is someone in the room who might be thinking, “I’m just here for the dip.”
I’m just here for the dip
You may be a diehard football fan and could care less what you eat along with your beer during the game. But I guarantee there is someone in the room who might be thinking, “I’m just here for the dip.” In honor of your food-focused friend—and perhaps your hungry self as well— here are three options to serve during the big game.
For the healthy friend:
Crispy Kale Chips
Definitely consider doubling this recipe—the crunchy texture (surprisingly different from regular sautéed kale) is addicting in all its salty glory.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of kale, any variety
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Tear the kale leaves off of their stems. Put away stems for another use. Toss kale leaves with the olive oil on a baking sheet and season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for 10–12 minutes, watching closely to make sure the chips don’t burn. Pile high on a plate, and serve.
For the spicy companion:
Smoky Salsa
While store-bought, watered-down pico de gallo may be the standard at football parties, this salsa is much more flavorful and almost as easy as picking some up at the store.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 can of low sodium tomatoes, drained
- 2 chipotles and 3 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the can
- 1 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped
Method
Peel and cut the onion into four large halves. Drop the onion chunks into a food processor, and pulse until chopped (alternatively, you could just chop the onion by hand before proceeding to the next step)—about a minute.
Peel the garlic cloves, and add them to the bowl of the food processor and pulse for 30 seconds, or until finely minced.
Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the mixture is slightly chunky—about three to five minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.
For the traditionalist:
Homemade Ranch Dip
Since the real thing is so simple to prepare (and almost free, if you have a well-stocked pantry), there’s no reason to serve this dip from the bottle.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- 2 tablespoons of dill
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, tasting seasonings to your liking. Serve with veggies or chips.
