Make-Your-Own Baked Cheese Dip
Ingredients
This dish is vegetarian when made with vegetarian stir-ins.
A note about gluten: When gluten-free stir-ins are used with gluten-free crackers or bread for dipping, this recipe is gluten free.
16 oz.
Kowalski's Whipped Cream Cheese Spread, your choice of flavor (from the Dairy Department)
2 cups
Kowalski's Cheese, shredded or crumbled (such as Sharp Cheddar, Mild Swiss, Blue, Gorgonzola, Monterey Jack or a combination)
½ cup
mayonnaise
- your choice of stir-ins (see suggestions below)
- Kowalski's Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray, as needed, for spraying the baking dish
¼ cup
Kowalski's Shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese
- crackers or bread, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy and smooth.
- Add 2 cups shredded or crumbled cheese, mayonnaise and your choice of stir-ins; stir until well blended.
- Scoop mixture evenly into a 9" round glass baking dish sprayed lightly with oil; sprinkle with ¼ cup mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven until bubbly, golden-brown and thoroughly hot (25-35 min.).
- Let stand for 10 min. before serving with crackers or bread.
Stir-in suggestions:
- 15 oz. canned artichoke hearts, rinsed, well-drained and chopped
- 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ¼ cup shredded Kowalski's Signature Rotisserie Chicken
- ¼ cup chopped cooked shrimp or crab
- ¼ cup cooked and crumbled Kowalski's Smoked Bacon
- ¼ cup chopped Genoa salami
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers
- ¼ cup caramelized onions
- ¼ cup chopped pitted olives
- ¼ cup chopped pimentos
- 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp. Kowalski's Taco Seasoning
- 2 tbsp. sliced green onion
- 2-4 dashes hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. grated onion
- ½ - 1 tsp. dried herbs
- 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- kosher salt and/or freshly ground Kowalski's Black Peppercorns, to taste
