Gary and Julie’s Favorite Football Big Game Dip Recipes

The Super Bowl is less than two weeks away and on that day alone, Americans will consume around 1.25  billion chicken wings.  Additionally, 4.4 million pizzas will be ordered from Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s.  Staggering huh?  And yet, both these things pale in comparison to the amounts of chips and dips that Americans will eat that afternoon. 

With that in mind, we figured we’d give you the recipes to a couple of our favorite dips to enjoy during the big game.  Of course,  we’ve recently been warned of a possible Velveeta cheese shortage and  it’s a key ingredient in both our favorites, so if you're planning to use these, given the long shelf life of Velveeta,  it's advisable to stock up now.

ROTEL SAUSAGE DIP

• 1 can (10 oz) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
• 1 pkg (16 oz) Velveeta® Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can (15 oz) Ranch Style Beans      W/ Jalapenos
• 1 pkg (1lb) Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage “Hot” or “Mild” depending on preference or substitute one pound of ground venison

Directions:  Brown entire package of sausage and drain grease.  Cut up Velveeta cheese into half inch cubes.  Place cheese, sausage, milk, 1 can RoTel and 1 can Ranch Style Beans into Crock Pot and cook on high, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.  Once cheese completely melted, serve with tortilla chips or Fritos and enjoy.

WARM MEXICAN CRAB DIP – courtesy of Paula Deene

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper, plus slices for garnish, optional
• 1/2 cup light beer
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (8-ounce) block Velveeta® Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product
• 1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked for shells
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, (about 2 limes)
• 1/4 cup minced green onion
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne peper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, and garlic and cook stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in the beer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.  Stir in the cream, cream cheese, and processed cheese, whisking until melted and smooth.

Stir in crabmeat, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, and chili powder and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, cayenne, and cumin. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with sliced jalapeno pepper, if desired. Serve hot with tortilla chips.