Guacamole is always a crowd pleaser, but with a few extra ingredients, this loaded version is sure to make a tailgate festive! Loaded Guacamole served in “It’s Time to Guac and Roll” serving dish and bowl, courtesy of Gibson’s Gift Shop, and tablecloth fabric, courtesy of Forest Lake Fabrics.
The game is on, the drinks are cold, but this picture of football season isn’t complete without food, and to be more specific, dips. When the fans gather, whether at a tailgate outside of Williams-Brice or from the comfort of home, dips are an easy way to feed the cheering masses. As the home of the University of South Carolina, locals are no stranger to a solid tailgate. Columbia is more than a college town though. From Northeast Columbia down to Five Points, the city is known for its flavor and excellence in food. So, when it comes to game-day cuisine, bringing the A-game is a must.
Whether on the football field or the table, tradition has its place. But there’s always room for invention and maybe even a trick play that will keep everyone on their toes. This season, incorporate a few new dishes into the mix with classics for a winning tailgate, if nothing else.
Before you dive in, a few notes on dips. With the exception of a few vegan-friendly dips, most of these combos include some combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese. Sour cream and mayonnaise bring a tang and levity to dips with heavier ingredients like bacon. Greek yogurt can be substituted for sour cream. Cream cheese, on the other hand, is great for richness and a thicker texture. When combining these ingredients, it may be difficult to get the cream cheese to incorporate easily into the sour cream or mayonnaise. Either use whipped cream cheese for a less dense texture or use a blender to combine the base ingredients. An immersion blender works well.
Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Dill Dip
Switch up the traditional artichoke dip by using whole artichokes to scoop the dip. This dip is both aesthetically and gastronomically pleasing, though you may need to coach guests on how to eat artichokes. Don’t worry, the playbook is below.
1 cup mayonnaise
2 artichokes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1 lemon
2 large garlic cloves, grated
This portion can be done ahead of time. Begin by preparing the artichoke. Wash and then cut the top 1 to 2 inches off the artichoke. Cut off about ¼ inch of the stem and use a vegetable peeler to remove the rough skin from around the rest of the stem. Place a steam basket into a 4-quart pot and fill with 1 to 2 inches of water. Place the artichokes into the steam basket, squeeze half of the lemon over them, and drop the squeezed lemon half into the basket. Bring the water to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Steam with lid on the pot for 30 minutes. Check to see if the artichokes are done. The stem should be fork tender and the leaves should peel away easily.
Remove artichokes from the pot and allow them to cool before cutting in half from leaves to stem. Use a spoon to scoop out the choke, or the hairy looking portion between the stem and leaves.
Heat grill to 400 F. Brush the artichokes with olive oil. Place the artichokes face down on the grill for 3 minutes. Remove from the grill. If a grill isn’t available, this step can be done in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Mix together mayonnaise, dill, remaining lemon juice, and grated garlic. Salt to preferred taste. To eat, simply pull a leaf from the artichoke and dip the wide end into the sauce. Place the leaf into your mouth and use your teeth to scrape the soft artichoke meat and the dill sauce from the leaf. Discard the leaf and grab another.
Loaded Guacamole
Guacamole is always a crowd pleaser, but with a few extra ingredients, this loaded version is sure to make the highlight reel.
4 ripe avocados
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ cup onion, diced
2 ears of corn
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
2 limes
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cut the lime in half and squeeze one half over the onions. This will help mellow their sharp flavor and keep the guacamole from tasting too much like onions. Remove the peel and pit from the avocados and mash with a fork. The mixture should not be completely smooth but still have some whole pieces of avocado. Stir olive oil, remaining juice, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cumin into the avocado until fully incorporated. Test and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Once the base is to your liking, stir in garlic, onion, corn, and jalapeno. Serve with tortilla chips.
Cajun Crab Dip
A little spice is just what you need to get tailgaters fired up and ready to cheer on the team!
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup lump crab
⅓ cup onion, diced
⅓ cup celery, diced
⅓ cup green pepper, diced
2 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt, to taste
Stir together dry ingredients for your homemade Cajun seasoning. Combine sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth. Fully incorporate Cajun seasoning, celery, onion, and green pepper. Fold in crab, being careful to leave large pieces of crabmeat by not over stirring. Serve with chips of your choice.
Onion and Bacon Dip
Sweet caramelized onions and salty, crispy bacon are the perfect teammates in this comforting spread.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 cups sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup crumbled bacon
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped roughly
Pepper, to taste
Begin by caramelizing the diced onion. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and then onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Lower the temperature to medium-low or low, add salt, and continue to cook for another 50 minutes, stirring every few minutes. If the onions begin to stick, add water, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan, and continue cooking. You’ll know they are done when all onions are a rich deep brown.
Combine sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in caramelized onions, bacon, and parsley. Season with pepper to taste. Store in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors become well acquainted. Best served with potato chips, but this dip also pairs well with fresh sliced veggies.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Kick off with a classic. Spinach artichoke is an old reliable play that is sure to get guests in the tailgate mode.
½ cup steamed spinach
4 canned artichoke hearts
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 ounce cream cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup Parmesan, plus 1 tablespoon
¼ cup mozzarella, plus 1 tablespoon
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine Greek yogurt, cream cheese, mayonnaise, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic clove until smooth. Use your hands to squeeze excess water from the steamed spinach. Cut canned artichokes into 4 to 6 pieces depending on size. Fold spinach, artichokes, ½ cup of Parmesan, and ½ cup of mozzarella into the Greek yogurt mixture. Grease a 9-by-9-inch pan and spread the mixture into the pan evenly. Top with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella. Bake for 10 minutes, broil for 3 minutes. Serve with your chip of choice.
Beer Cheese
A set it and forget it dip is ideal for the busy host, and when it comes to those few chilly games that come at the end of the season, everyone is sure to huddle around the Crock-Pot for Beer Cheese.
16 ounces cheddar cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 cup beer
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cook on low for 1 hour. Stir ingredients every 10 minutes. Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and serve warm with pretzels.
Boiled Peanut Hummus
Turn a Southern favorite into a dip.
1 pound of boiled peanuts
⅓ cup tahini
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 roasted garlic cloves
Remove shells from peanuts. (One pound with the shell on should yield about 1½ to 2 cups of peanuts.) In a blender, pulse peanuts and garlic cloves until roughly combined. Add tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your personal preference. Spoon into a serving dish, top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika or freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with pita chips or freshly cut vegetables.
Bagels and Lox Dip
This combo takes everything you love about a breakfast bagel and turns it into a dip. It’s perfect for brunch before a day game.
4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup red onion, diced
Everything Bagel seasoning
Combine cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Fold in red onion, capers, and smoked salmon. Spread evenly into serving dish. Top heavily with Everything Bagel seasoning. Serve with bagel chips.
