My Favorite Dips

 I love appetizers.

I love dips.

These are two of my favorite dips.

Both can be made without milk.  Bonus.  

String Beane would not touch either of these with a 10 foot pole.  So, sometimes I make them with milk and sometimes without.  Depends on the situation.

Both get a lot of positive comments and people always ask for the recipes.

So here are the recipes:

Spinach Dip

Ingredients

1 package of frozen chopped spinach, thaw and squeezed dry

1 cup sour cream (Toufutti Sour Supreme if making milk free)

1 cup Mayonnaise 

1 package Knorr dried Vegetable Soup Mix

1 can water chestnuts -chopped (optional)

1/2 of a medium onion, chopped or grated, to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate overnight.  

Give this a quick stir before serving.

I love to dip this with the Barely Naked Pita Chips or Triscuits.

 There goes Mr. Homegrown with a Triscuit.  He loves this stuff.

My other very favorite dip is more of a Cheese Ball.  This one can also be made without milk.  Double bonus.

Dried Beef Cheese Ball

Ingredients

2 8oz blocks of cream cheese, softened (Toufutti Cream Cheese if you need it to be milk free)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Horseradish

1 teaspoon Dried Minced Onion, soaked in a little water to rehydrate

2 (2oz) packages dried beef, shredded in the food processor

Directions

Mix all ingredients together.  Form into a ball and refrigerate overnight.  You can also serve this immediately and will be more "dip" like in consistency.  

My favorite is to eat this with a Wheat Thin.  

 Here is Mr. Homegrown digging in with a Wheat Thin.

I have made both of these with and without the regular milk ingredients.  I can tell no difference in the Spinach Dip at all.  There is a small taste difference in the Dried Beef cheese ball, but both are really good.

These are great to have at a party where you want all the food allergy friendly so there will not be any chance of people dropping or mixing milk foods on safe foods.  

 

This way you can actually move away from the food table instead of guarding it like some sort of watch dog and offering to make everyone's plate.  Been there.   

I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday and these other Awesome Parties!  Check 'em out.

Ham and Cheese Sliders!

We had a few friends over to watch the Super Bowl this year.

I only like to make the food and watch the commercials.

The kid peeing in the pool was my favorite this year.

These Ham and Cheese Sliders were gone quickly!  They are ooey, gooey goodness. 

Here you go:

Ingredients

2 packages of Pepperige Farm Rolls - Split in half

(I have had a hard time finding these over the years.  This year I used a package of Bunny Bread dinner rolls.  They do not contain milk.)

Swiss Cheese singles

American Cheese singles

Oscar Mayer Smoked Sliced ham - 2 packs

2 sticks melted butter (I used Flieshman's unsalted since it does not contain milk)

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

After splitting the rolls, (I have found it easiest to use an electric knife to split the rolls) place the bottom portion in a 9x13 pan.   Place 1 layer of Swiss cheese on top of the rolls.  Next, place 2 layers of ham.  Add a layer of the American Cheese. 

Put the top half of the rolls back on. 

Combine the butter, brown sugar, prepared mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour over the rolls.  Cut between the rolls with a sharp knife. 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or 2 hours. 

Bake at 350 degrees for, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.


These are SO good!  They are always a crowd pleaser. 

When I was assembling these, I broke off four of the rolls and put in a smaller Pyrex dish and made some for String Beane without cheese. 

We all love them.  They are especially good with soup on a cold night.

I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday, Allergy Friendly Friday and these other Awesome Parties!