appetizer Archives – A Well Crafted Party

Italian Salad Chip Dip Recipe

May 21, 2024 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:

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.
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!)
Add in all of your chopped ingredients and cheese. Mix with a spoon.
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!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Corn Salad Chip Dip Recipe

May 21, 2024 1 Comment A Well Crafted Pantry

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:

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.
In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese, sour cream, finely diced Jalapeno, and shredded cheese. Mix with a hand mixer.
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.
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.

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!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Butter Dipped Radishes

March 23, 2024 1 Comment A Well Crafted Pantry

This is another non-recipe recipe that my blog is likely famous for. (My blog is not famous… maybe because I have non-recipe recipes.) But, what can I say? I like SIMPLE and DELICIOUS and EYE-CATCHING for my home entertaining. So, these Butter Dipped Radishes are perfect for your next Spring potluck, Easter brunch, or afternoon snack.

The most complicated thing about this recipe is getting the butter to the right consistency. I over-melted my butter at least three times. But, between the fridge and the microwave, I eventually got it. You want your butter to be melted enough that you can DIP your radishes in the butter and it will coat the radishes in its buttery-goodness, but not so melted that it basically falls right off. The time I got it completely right with JUST the melting, I put my butter in the microwave at half power for 15 seconds, stirred, and continued to doing that until it was correct. However, the time I over melted it and put it in my fridge and checked on it and stirred until it hit the right consistency? It dipped just as well!

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You can dipped a couple of times if your butter isn’t quite right. In the end, you want a good layer of semi-solid butter before you add salt. If you add it to too-melted butter it will incorporate into the liquid and still be delicious, but lack the desired visual effect.

In elevating this simple appetizer I used a high quality non-salted butter and a Maldon flaky salt.* What kind of butter? Tillamook, of course.

The other, semi-controversial part to this appetizer comes down to the greens. You can absolutely trim ALL the greens off this appetizer. Radishes and butter are delectibe. Period. However, I like the nod to Spring that the greens give. I trimmed the greens down and tried to pick out any droopy ones before serving. These serve as a handle for those who are noshing as they go, but also don’t interfere or look dirty.

Butter Dipped Radishes

Jenni

A simple Spring appetizer that is eye-catching, delicious, and EASY.

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Ingredients

1 Bunch Radishes
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
2 tbsp Maldon Sea Salt

Instructions

Clean your radishes and trim off the bottom to make a flat bottom to stand on end.
Trim greens so there are enough to grab, but not so much that they droop into your finished radish.
Very slowly melt the butter in the microwave. Use the lower power settings. Your goal in melting the butter is not a transparent yellow, but rather a muddy white. If you over-melt your butter, put it in the fridge to firm a bit and stir/melt until you get the right consistency. You want it a dipping consistency, but not so thin that it runs right off the radish.
Dip the clean, dry radish into the partially melted butter. You can dip a couple of times if you feel that the coating isn't good enough.
Sprinkle with Maldon Sea Salt
Put in fridge to firm up
Plate and serve!

Keyword appetizer, butter, radish, salt, spring

Let me know if you try this appetizer! I’d love to know what you or your guests thought of it!