Terrific Tailgating Recipes- Chips and Dip

Yesterday, I kicked off my Terrific Tailgating feature by sharing some tips for getting your tailgating party organized. Today, it is all about the food!

Chips and dip is an easy way to feed a crowd. There are thousands of different dip recipes, but I am going to share a few of my favorite.

Hot Wings are always a great tailgating food. This recipe gives a twist to the traditional hot wing. It gives you all the flavor, with a little less mess.


Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

5 or 6 chicken breasts, baked, cooled, and shredded
1/2 of a 12 oz. bottle of Buffalo Wings Sauce ( I like Louisiana Hot Sauce wing sauce, but you can use any brand)
1/2 of a 16 oz. bottle of ranch dressing
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Mix chicken with Buffalo Wings Sauce. Spread in bottom of prepared pan.

Melt cream cheese and ranch together in a saucepan over med-low heat until smooth. Spread over chicken. Cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.



Guacamole is another favorite of mine. I love avocados! Finding ripe avocados can sometimes be difficult. Look for an avocado with a very dark green, almost black skin. Then see if it is soft. You don't want a mushy avocado, you just want some give. Be careful to press too hard, because it will bruise. If you find avocados that aren't ripe yet, you can help them along at home by placing them in a brown paper bag.

For traditional guacamole, I use the following:

ripe avocados
pico de gallo ( in most produce areas you can find this already prepared or make your own from scratch)
granulated garlic
salt & pepper

Peel and mash the avocados.
Add pico de gallo. If you aren't familiar with Pico de Gallo, it is chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice.
Season to taste with granulated garlic, salt, and pepper.
For me, I like to add a little kick to mine. My secret ingredient is adding about 3-4 packets of Taco Bell Fire Sauce. I horde the packets whenever I get the chance and use them for cooking.

To add a little twist to your guacamole, try adding in some crispy crumbled bacon. It adds a little crunch, as well as a nice smokey flavor. I would suggest using less salt when seasoning because of the bacon's already salty flavor.

Don't forget to save the avocado seed! After you mix your guacamole, place the seed underneath your dip. This will help the guacamole from trying brown while sitting out.

For something a sweet and spice, I love making Avocado, Mango, Cucumber Relish. This goes amazing with chips, but I really love it on grilled chicken tacos.

3-4 Avocados- peeled and diced
2 mangos peeled, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers peeled, seeded, and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Stir together the avocados, mangos, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

You can adjust the amount of spice you like. Just depends on your taste.


Of course you can't forget about 7 layer dip, french onion dip, or another personal favorite artichoke and spinach dip. Those are always favorites too! Please let me know if you try any of these recipes or if you have a favorite dip, please share!
Happy Tailgating!