Serve chips and dip for a simply prepared party classic.
Whether for a party or a snack, chips and dip are a simple appetizer certain to please almost everyone. One of the benefits of having chips and dip on the menu is its flexibility. Mixing and match chips and dips for an almost endless variety of snacking options
Fiesta Favorites
For an easy Mexican-style chip and dip appetizer, serve fried corn tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole. Or, create a seven-layer Mexican dip by spreading a base of refried beans on the bottom of a serving platter and topping them with equal layers of shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa, sliced olives and sour cream. Arrange a ring of corn tortilla chips around the edges of the serving platter for scooping up the dip. For added color, serve the dip with white and blue corn tortilla chips.
Sweet Cream
Sweetened sour cream or yogurt dip is usually served with fresh fruit, but apple chips made from fried or freeze-dried apple slices offer a crunchy texture of chips with the healthy profile of apples. Look for these chips in health food stores or larger supermarkets in the produce or snack food section. Make a dip of 8 oz. softened or whipped cream cheese, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup thawed whipped topping and chill it well before serving it with the chips. This dip also complements the slightly sweet taste of sweet potato chips without added flavorings.
Hummus and Pita
Pureed chickpeas mixed with olive oil and a sesame paste called tahini creates the base for a hummus dip. Other ingredients can be added, such as red peppers or garlic. Serve the hummus dip with toasted pita bread pieces, a Middle Eastern flat bread available in most supermarkets, or with pita chips. Pita bread is sold fresh and in fried chip form. Prepared hummus dip is available at delis or in the refrigerated section of Middle Eastern grocery stores or larger supermarkets.
Blue Cheese
Blue cheese dip pairs with spicy Buffalo chicken wings or vegetables. Use these common sides as inspiration for the type of chips to serve with the blue cheese dip. Look for Buffalo-flavored potato chips or sprinkle hot wing sauce on top of tortilla chips and bake the chips in a low-heat oven until crisp and dried. Alternatively, place a single piece of boneless Buffalo-flavored chicken on top of each tortilla chip for dipping into the blue cheese dip.
Tags: tortilla chips, corn tortilla, corn tortilla chips, sour cream, chips with, larger supermarkets, Middle Eastern
