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A Well Crafted Pantry

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A Well Crafted Pantry

Italian Salad Chip Dip Recipe

3 Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

There is a fairly new trend that I’m 1000% behind, and it is basically creating finely diced salads that are eaten with chips. I mean, best of both worlds, right? The viral Green Goddess Salad was the first one I saw and tried, but I’ve now tried several salads this way and it has become a favorite twist to a weeknight meal or healthy addition to a party appetizer menu. This Italian Salad Chip Dip Recipe would work for either a main meal (lunch anyone?) or an appetizer! And, the best part? It is completely customizable depending on your tastes!

The ingredients for this Italian Salad Chip Dip are completely customizable!

I’m one of the weird people who read recipes for fun and then take a bunch of ideas and my preferences and make something up. I know that not everyone is that way, so I do practice and test recipes for the blog. But, I also like to work on recipes that are adjustable to a person’s preferences when possible. And, this one fits the bill! Don’t like the cheese? Sub a different one? Don’t eat meat? Sub in some great vegetables! I’ll share suggested substitutions below, but have fun with this one!

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A great twist on a traditional chips and dip recipe, eat your salad with your chips! 

Italian Salad Chip Dip Recipe

This recipe makes approximately 3.5 cups of chip dip. This is a hearty recipe so it will serve quite a few people for an appetizer or potentially 4 people for a good lunch.

Chopped Italian Salad Chip Dip Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of ham (I used a thicker cut deli ham)
  • 3.5 ounces of salami
  • 2 cups of parmesan cheese shredded
  • 2.25 ounces black olives sliced
  • Parsley (You’ll end up wanting around 1/2 cup once chopped)
  • 16 oz Roasted Red Peppers
  • 10 Pepperoncinis
  • 1/2 Large Red Onion
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt (as it is being served with salty chips and there is salt in the salami and ham, you don’t need much!)
The biggest tip for making a salad into a chip dip is chopping everything as small as possible! 

Directions:

  1. Take all of the ingredients other than the cheese, spices, oil and vinegar, and chop into as small as pieces as you can get. This takes some time, but the smaller the better! You want your guests to be able to get as many of the ingredients on one chip as possible.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices. Whisk until incorporated. (When oil and vinegar incorporate they get a slightly creamy look to them!)
  3. Add in all of your chopped ingredients and cheese. Mix with a spoon.
  4. Serve with your favorite chips! I liked this salad with Salt & Vinegar chips* as well as Parmesan Garlic chips*!
Customize this Italian Chip Dip to your tastes!

Ways to Customize:

  • Want it even more salad like? Add in a hearty romaine! Serve directly after adding in the romaine as it will not keep as well as a salad without it.
  • Change out the meats for roasted Zucchini and Eggplant.
  • Add in Italian tomatoes for a bright pop of flavor.
  • Trade the black olives for your favorite green olives!
  • Change out the Parmesan for Provolone, Asiago, or Mozzarella!

How would you customize this dip? Share in the comments below!

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Corn Salad Chip Dip Recipe

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Salty fried potatoes in any form are my favorite form. Chips are a snack that doesn’t last long in my house, so we have a rule that we only buy if we have a planned meal that they will go with… Which, makes me often think of ways to incorporate this favorite snack into meals with friends and family! Chips belong with dips. And, this creamy and cheesy Jalapeno Corn Salad Chip Dip will not last long at your next summer BBQ or potluck! Serve with corn chips and a tasty Summer-time cocktail before a dinner under the stars.

Ingredients for a tasty corn salad chip dip! 

Corn Salad Chip Dip Recipe

This recipe makes approximately 7 cups of dip which will feed a crowd. If you have a smaller group, just halve the recipe! The great thing about this mixture is you can adjust the spice to your comfort level by adding more or removing as needed.

Corn Salad Dip Ingredients:

  • 2 Bags of Frozen Corn (12 oz each, 24 oz total)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 16 ounces of shredded Mexican blend cheese (cheddar would also work)
  • 16 ounces (or two 8 ounce packages) of cream cheese (room temp)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2-4 Jalapenos depending on your desired spice level (finely diced)
  • 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
  • Salt & Pepper to taste (do not overdo salt as this will be eaten with salted chips)
This creamy and cheesy Jalapeno Chip Dip Recipe is bound to be a crowd pleaser at your next BBQ!

Directions:

  1. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add butter, corn, and spices. Cook the corn and spices together until corn is slightly charred. You can achieve this by letting the corn sit in one place for a time before stirring. Don’t let it burn, but get a little darkness to the kernels. Set aside to let cool.
  2. In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese, sour cream, finely diced Jalapeno, and shredded cheese. Mix with a hand mixer.
  3. Add in cooled corn and mix with large spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remember that you’ll be serving with salted chips, so don’t overdo the salt content.
  4. Garnish with a slice or two of jalapeno and serve with corn chips!

Jalapeno tips: 

  • Cut with gloves or a plastic bag on your hand to avoid getting the oils on your hands and transferring to more sensitive areas.
  • Scrape out seeds and white pith to reduce potential heat levels a bit.
This creamy and cheesy Jalapeno Chip Dip Recipe is bound to be a crowd pleaser at your next BBQ!

Change it up!

This is a fun recipe to put your own spin on. Don’t like Jalapenos? Change them out for some Poblano peppers instead! Want to add a pop of freshness? Add in some cut tomatoes to brighten up the dish.

Let me know what you would do to add your own special twist to this Corn Salad Dip recipe in the comments!

 

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Summer Sipper: Bee’s Knees Beer Pitcher Cocktail

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When the weather starts to get nice, the first thing I get excited about is opening up my deck and hosting friends for a Summer dinner alfresco or lazy weekend BBQ. These types of events, I like to make as simple as possible so that I can relax on the outdoor couch with friends rather than spend the evening cooking, cleaning, or tending bar. Pitcher cocktails are my go-to for an outdoor summer party drink. They are easy to make ahead, and guests can help themselves without much fuss from the host! This Bee’s Knees Beer Pitcher Cocktail is perfect for a get together with friends on the porch or to bring in a batch (add alcohol once you arrive!) to your next Summer BBQ potluck.

Summer pitcher cocktail great for your next BBQ

Tips for Pitcher Cocktail Success

Pitcher cocktails are a fantastic way to serve drinks to a crowd. The things to remember when making these types of cocktails are proportion sizes and what I call the “water down effect.”

  1. Proportion Sizes: It is easy to throw a bunch of liquor and fixings into a pitcher and call it good. But, it can be a recipe for an unsafe evening or… just a bad cocktail! Consider the size of the cups you are serving the drinks in and the amount of alcohol you want in one cup. In general, a single-pour cocktail would have 1.5 ounces of liquor in them while a mixed drink may have 3 to (not recommended) 4 ounces. You don’t want guests accidently over-imbibing because they assumed a glass to be proportionate to a single-pour or normal mixed drink. Bonus: Watching the proportion sizes will also give you a more balanced cocktail in the end.
  2. Watered Down Effect: There are two sides to this coin when it comes to pitcher cocktails.
        • First, I rarely serve my mixed cocktails in a pitcher with ice, as the ice will often melt and water down the cocktail to such a degree that it is no longer the balanced drink I created.
        • Second, when making cocktails, I often shake or stir my cocktails with ice to chill them. That does add SOME water to my mixture, diluting them just enough to bring out flavors and aromas! That minimal water and chill is actually important to the balance of many cocktails. So, when I do create a pitcher cocktail, I plan a small amount of water into my recipe and chill the cocktail ahead of time by putting it in the fridge. Tip: Just don’t add any bubbles to your pitcher cocktail until right before serving.
Ingredients for a simple crowd pleasing pitcher cocktail for an outdoor party, BBQ, or dinner alfresco!

How to Make Honey Syrup:

Have you ever tried adding honey to a cocktail? It’ll immediately seize up! But, the flavors of honey are perfect for oh-so-many drinks! Enter Honey Syrup. Honey Syrup is similar to a simple syrup in structure, and it prevents the honey from seizing up when adding it to your pitcher cocktail.

Simply add Honey and Water (2 parts honey to 1 part water) to a saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir until incorporated. Let cool and then decant into a airtight container and store in fridge. It should be good for 7 days in the fridge—though, mine never lasts around that long!

Bee’s Knees Beer Cocktail

Bee’s Knees Beer Pitcher Cocktail

The Bee’s Knees cocktail is one of my favorites for a hot day. Gin, lemon, and honey syrup combine for a fantastically sweet and sour cocktail. But, it isn’t really made for a crowd! Enter in a beer-cocktail twist on the classic, for a crowd pleasing cocktail.

This take on the Bee’s Knees cocktail transforms it from a knockout cocktail to a great summer sipper for a crowd. It’s easy drinking and perfect for an outdoor bbq with friends or packed in jars for a picnic.

Makes approximately 8, 8.5 ounce drinks. I serve on ice with a lemon wheel!

Ingredients:

  • 32 oz lemonade
  • 16 oz beer (lager or pilsner)
  • 8 oz honey syrup
  • 8 oz gin
  • 4 oz water
  • 1 pitcher
  • Ice & Lemon Wheels for Garnish

Directions: 

  1. Combine the lemonade, honey syrup, gin, and water in a pitcher. Stir until mixed. Chill for approximately 3 hours to overnight.
  2. Right before serving, add in 1 can of 16 oz beer.
  3. Pour over a glass of ice and serve with a lemon wheel!

You can increase the proportions of this cocktail to make even larger serving sizes if you are hosting a larger party. Or, if you want to simply make a cocktail for one, decrease all of the ingredients! If you do enjoy this gin summer sipper at your next party, please let me know what you think!

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