Creamy Jalapeño Dip, AKA Stephanie’s Green Dip – Great for Game Day

My colleague and friend Stephanie makes the most marvelous dip, and we pester her to bring a batch to us at least monthly.  It’s ‘formal’ name is Creamy Jalapeño Dip, but we mostly refer to it as Green Dip.  And sometimes, Crack Dip (because it’s addictive).  It’s that good!

Stephanie brings a big ol’ batch of Green Dip to work with a couple of giant bags of tortilla chips and some veggie dippers, puts it all out in a common area, and backs away slowly: then we attack it like we’ve been starved for months.

Stephanie makes the Green Dip / Crack Dip with her son Josh, and together, they won the dip category of our Halloween Dips and Desserts competition at work, a bit of team-building fun we had together last month.  Our contest was patterned after the Food Network’s show Chopped, and yours truly was a judge.  Fun!

A self-described “Team Mom, Stephanie is generous with her time and her Green Dip, and has provided the recipe so that I can share it with all of you.  It is PERFECT for a post-Thanksgiving football weekend (add it to your tailgate party!), and great on a turkey sandwich.  In fact, there are tons of ways you can use this dip – see the list at the end of the post.

Stephanie was the food stylist for this post, providing the photo below.  I think she might need to be a guest blogger in the Glover Gardens Cookbook!

Creamy Jalapeno Dip, AKA Stephanie’s Green Dip

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1-oz. packet of ranch dressing mix
• 1 small can diced green chilies (mild or hot, depending on your taste)
• 2-4 fresh jalapenos (depends on pepper size and desired heat), cut into pieces; remove and save seeds and spines
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, pulled off of stems
• Juice of 1 small lime
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 pinches cumin

Cooking Instructions

Throw all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth.  Add jalapeno seeds and spines to increase heat as desired. Serve as an appetizer with chips or fresh veggies.

And there’s more…

The best thing about the Green Dip is using the leftovers.  It will keep for about 10 days in the fridge, which is good, because this recipe makes a large batch.  Since Stephanie started gifting us with this dip (including once as a get-well gift after a hospitalization), I have used it in various and delightful ways:

• As a spread for a turkey sandwich, chicken breast sandwich, or just about any sandwich (think Green Dip BLT)
• Whipped into leftover mashed potatoes for a whole new take on them
• In scrambled eggs, before scrambling – a couple of tablespoons provides a creamy richness, and just the right bit of spice
• Swirled into creamed corn
• As a condiment on fish tacos, shrimp tacos, any tacos, fajitas
• Tossed with chopped chicken breast and minced red onions for a quick chicken salad
• As a dip for boiled shrimp in place of – or addition to – cocktail sauce or remoulade
• As a salad dressing – it’s great with romaine and crisp, brightly colored bell peppers
• As a base for a Southwest-style white pizza
• In potato salad, as the creamy base
• Swirled into or dolloped on top of a vegetable soup like my Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with a Hint of Cumin
• As a spread for my Tuna or Salmon Burgers
• In place of mayo, plain yogurt or sour cream in a variety of other uses

The final say…

There are tons of recipes for dips like this out there on the internet, but Stephanie’s is The BOMB.  It’s the only version of a creamy jalapeño dip I need, because she and her son Josh have fine-tuned this recipe over the years they’ve been making it.  Trust me on this.

Thank you, Stephanie!

Copyright 2016, Glover Gardens Cookbook