“blt” dip
A dip for all my dipshits out there.
Yip, we’re on the theme of Super Bowl foods right now – don’t worry, that won’t characterize the whole week – but I wanted to give you all a good heap of options to set your gameday table. Or truck bed. Whatever. And this one is a damn good time in a bowl.
Ever since I discovered that veggified versions of bacon are delicious alternatives to the greasy, porky strips (though no, not exactly the same), I’ve wanted to toss lots on absolutely everything. I’ve presented a couple of BLT-themed recipes in the past; because of how well-loved the combo is universally, making dishes that feed a crowd with the classic combo proves seamless. Don’t know how many people would pass up one variety of BLT or another.
Had I let him, J might’ve devoured this whole bowl of “BLT” Dip in one sitting. Possibly because I baked up some homemade chippies to go with. He likened the flavor to sour cream and onion dip, a favorite of ours (we talked about sour cream and onion chips a few days before, which actually pulled me to this concept in the first place).
Needless to say, this shit is fabulous. A creamy base flavored with homemade ranch seasoning, with lettuce, tomato, and coconut bacon folded within. Top the platter off with even more of those components, plus green onions for a bit of snap, and serve with all the dippers! A no-fail, no-fuss dish that whips up in moments and disappears even faster.
Put the Smoke in the Coconut
Smoke-onut?
Of course, this dish can be customized for omnivores with real bacon: just cook up enough strips to make a cup or so of crumbles, however you like to cook bacon. But I’m looking at all y’all fellow bacon-shunners when I recommend our friend the coconut chip for the job.
I always bake a large batch since I use it on salads and other various dishes, so the recipe card amounts will make far more than you need for this recipe alone. For the bacon, simply toss unsweetened coconut chips – important, don’t buy the sugary shreds, that’d be nasty – with soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Spread evenly onto a big baking sheet and roast until crisp. The bacon will burn if ignored for too long, so keep an eye on it.
Dodge, Dip, Duck, Dive, and Dip
Nailed it.
The dip requires little effort itself. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to blend cream cheese, plain Greek yogurt, and mayonnaise, with a blend of homemade ranch seasoning, until nice and smooth. I like vegan mayonnaise best myself.
Fold in chopped romaine and tomato and some of the coconut bacon until combined. Cover and chill the dip for at least an hour. You can get away with 30 minutes, but I find an hour perfect for really getting those flavors to fuse. Even a few days ahead of time won’t do any harm to the dip, so feel welcome to pre-prep on Thursday if you’re making this for Sunday.
To serve, I pile on extra filling and some chopped green onions. Any manner of accompaniments work beautifully with this. Grilled or toasted bread, tortilla chips (my favorite), ridged potato chips, veggies like carrots or cucumbers…Go crazy, folks, go crazy.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
I smell bacon!
Creamy “Bacon” and Vegetable Gnocchi Soup
“blt” dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (vegan or regular)
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 cup coconut bacon (or regular, crumbled)
- 1 cup romaine lettuce, shredded
- 1 large tomato, deseeded and diced
- extra lettuce, tomato, and coconut bacon, plus green onions, for topping
coconut bacon
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut chips
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- To make the coconut bacon, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Toss with the coconut until thoroughly coated. Spread the coconut in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking time. Watch closely. The coconut will continue to crisp as it cools.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parsley, garlic, onion, and dill until very creamy and smooth. With a spatula, fold in the lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least an hour.
- Before serving, sprinkle extra bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions on top. Serve alongside tortilla or potato chips, toasted crostini, assorted veggies, and any other of your favorite dippers.
