Dip Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Creamy Lemon Fruit Dip

February 7, 2016 by Danielle

I just had a crazy (but amazingly fun) trip to NYC this past week with my sister and my 3 boys – needless to say, now I have a LOT of catching up to do with emails, blogging, household stuff (laundry = the worst part of coming home from vacation) and the likes. I don’t have a lot of time to spend doing yummy snacks or anything for the kids this weekend, so I think I’ll just whip up this recipe I shared a few years ago for Creamy Lemon Fruit Dip.

Creamy Lemon Fruit Dip / by BusyMomsHelper.com A Great Snack Recipe!

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

I don’t know about you, but I can’t say no to tasty strawberries! These are my favorite fruit to pair with this cheesecake dip – such great flavor. You can switch it up, too, and instead use a different flavor of yogurt for a whole new experience.

From 2013: My family loves fruit. Seriously, I have to withhold the fruit with a meal until the kids have eaten the ‘main’ food, otherwise it’ll just be fruit for them. The other night, though, I found my twins dipping their strawberries in the ketchup still on their plates. Okay, fine, I guess. However, it encouraged me to find a dip they could use instead (perhaps more for me than for them, I just cringed at the thought of strawberries and ketchup)!

Ingredients

6 oz. Lemon yogurt
7 oz. Marshmallow cream
8 oz. Whipped cream cheese
Zest from 1 lemon

Directions

In a medium bowl, blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
There’s no step #2 – you’re done and ready to enjoy this delicious fruit dip!

Note: Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

The Best Breadsticks & Alfredo Sauce for Your Holiday

November 19, 2015 by Danielle

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NestleHoliday #CollectiveBias

As if life couldn’t get any busier, it’s now the holiday season! Anyone else in a bit of a panic to get an extremely long To-Do list done, yet still manage the daily stuff – you know, like eating? Plus planning a big Thanksgiving feast is a whole list of tasks in and of itself! Phew! Luckily we can make our lives a little bit less stressful with delish, easy recipes like The Best Breadsticks & Alfredo Sauce for Your Holiday!

You know how my family loves pizza? I guess most probably do! For those days, or seasons, as the current case would be, that we don’t have much time to spend cooking we LOVE the variety offered by CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® Crispy Thin Crust Oven Ready Pizza – especially their Sicilian! I like to stock up on several varieties when I’m at Walmart and keep them readily available in my freezer.

Seriously, NESTLÉ® products like this are what save my sanity this time of year! Then I just whip up amazing and SIMPLE recipes that go great with them – like this creamy alfredo sauce and soft, flavorful breadsticks!

The Best Breadsticks

Ingredients

1 tbsp. Instant Yeast
1 1/2 cups Warm Water
3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Topping: Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt (both to taste)

Directions

Mix the yeast and warm water in a small bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture until it forms a nice dough. Knead for about 2 minutes, then cover with a moist towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Melt the 1/2 cup Butter and pour it on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out your dough into a rectangle the same size as your baking sheet. Cut 1″ wide strips. Take each strip, bring the two ends together and twist, pinching the ends together to stay. Roll the stick in the butter you spread over your pan and then place on the pan.
Top your breadsticks with the 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, then garlic salt and Italian seasoning to taste.
Let your breadsticks rise for 10-15 minutes; meanwhile preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges.

The Best Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup Butter
2 tbsp. Minced Garlic
2 cups Heavy Cream
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese, grated or shredded

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, heavy cream, pepper and salt and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 7 minutes.
Turn the heat to low and slowly add the Parmesan cheese. Cook another 1-2 minutes or until creamy – stirring constantly. Serve it hot so it’s creamy!

See, totally simple – and it goes perfectly with the CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® Crispy Thin Crust Oven Ready Pizza, Sicilian, as well as their other varieties!

Check out more delicious recipes on the Flavorful Moments Pinterest board. Let me know what your favorites are!

Game-Day Smoky Eggplant Dip

September 30, 2015 by Stephanie Kirkos

Hello, and Happy Fall! This is Steph from Steph in Thyme, and today I’m sharing a healthy, yet still super delicious, approach to Game-Day snacking. This Smoky Eggplant Dip is hearty and rich in flavor, perfect for the change in seasons and when the munchies strike watching weekend football.

Another name for this dip is Baba Ganoush, a traditional Levantine dish. The base is eggplant baked, boiled, or grilled whole so the inside “meat” is soft with a deep smoky flavor.

I prefer to grill the eggplant, first pricking it all over with a fork. Set both eggplant on the grill, close the lid, and let them cook for about 30-40 minutes, rotating with tongs occasionally. You want the eggplant to blacken and collapse, like it’s about to fall apart. Once completely collapsed, open up the eggplant and scoop out the soft and tender meaty innards.

No grill? No problem. You can cook the eggplant under the broiler instead, rotating occasionally with tongs until they look like this below.

Tahini (aka sesame paste), lots of lemon juice, even more garlic, and salt and pepper finish off the dip. The result is an appetizer with a very hearty texture and rich, deep flavors.

The dip tastes best after it chills for several hours, the flavors melding and opening up to a whole new level.

Garnish the dip with chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil and serve with warm pita triangles, fresh veggies, or hearty crackers. It goes quickly, so you may want to make a double batch!

No grill? No problem. You can cook the eggplant under the broiler, rotating with tongs until evenly cooked. The method can be different, but the result the same - eggplant that's blackened and collapsed.

Print Recipe

Game-Day Smoky Eggplant Dip

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

2 medium eggplant 4 lbs total
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic crushed
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley
drizzle olive oil as garnish

Instructions

Rinse both eggplant and pat dry. Prick each eggplant all over with a fork.
Pre-heat grill over medium-high heat. Place the eggplant whole on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 30-40 minutes, rotating occasionally with tongs to eggplant cooks evenly, or until eggplant are blackened and collapsed.
Remove eggplant from grill and let sit for 15-20 minutes until cool enough to handle.
With your fingers, open the eggplant and scoop all the soft insides into a bowl. Mash the cooked eggplant "meat" with a fork until mashed and no large chunks remain.
Add the tahini, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to the eggplant and stir until well combined. Make sure to season well with salt, adjusting amount to taste.
Cover the dip and chill for several hours to let the flavors come together and open up. Adjust seasoning as needed after it chills, i.e. add more lemon, tahini, salt and pepper. Some like this dip more lemony, some with more tahini (me!) Adjust to your particular taste.
To serve, scoop the dip into a serving dish. Sprinkle topped parsley over top and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve with warm pita bread, fresh veggies, or hearty crackers.

Salsa Verde

February 5, 2015 by Danielle

Who else here is a huge fan of dips? I love grabbing a bag of chips and some delicious dip for snacks, or even when I’m too hurried for lunch some days! There’s so many good recipes out there, but one of my favorite dips is this creamy Salsa Verde!

I originally shared my Creamy Salsa Verde back in 2013, and although I’m still a big fan of that particular recipe, I’ve made some changes so it’s now near perfection! We were craving this so bad the other week that we whipped up a batch, all excited…and realized we had NO CHIPS. Ugh! So Hubby drove to the store right then, even though it was like 9pm, and grabbed a couple bags. when you want a dip fix, you WANT a dip fix!

Ingredients

3 Tomatillos (remove husks and rinse off the sticky stuff)
1 Ripe Avocado
3 tsp. Garlic, minced
1/4 White Onion, diced
3 tbsp. Lime Juice
3 tbsp. Cilantro
2-3 tbsp. Honey or Agave
1/4 cup Jalapeno flavored Tabasco Sauce (more or less, based on preference)
Pinch of Salt

Directions

Cut your tomatillos into fourths and add them, your garlic, onion, lime juice, cilantro and honey into a blender and blend well.
Remove the pit from your avocado and scoop the good stuff into the blender. Add your Jalapeno Tabasco, adding more for a ‘hotter’ flavor and less for more ‘mild’. It’s easy to add more if you decide it’s too bland, so just add a bit to start then add a bit at a time until you reach your desired taste!
Blend until desired consistency and enjoy!

What are YOUR favorite types of dip to go with your chip of choice?

Best Ever Pony Express Pizza Garlic Butter

October 23, 2014 by Danielle

You know those things that seem to go with almost everything? I think garlic bread is just that…it goes with pastas, pizza, some salads. Sometimes before the meal or with it. So versatile, and absolutely delicious! My go-to recipe is this Best Ever Pony Express Pizza Garlic Butter!

If you saw yesterday’s Creepy Mini Pizzas post, you read about how I grew up in a store called Pony Express Pizza. My folks owned it, and they served the best pizzas around (even though they stopped over 16 years ago now, people in town STILL ask for the recipes!). It was so fun learning how it all worked, ‘helping’ around the store, and of course taste testing! I still remember they’d make these huge tubs of their garlic butter, and I would beg for some with each batch because it was the most creamy, delicious stuff ever!

As I grew up and moved away, I tried so many times to repeat the flavorful goodness of this recipe, but it always ended up a total fail. Then when my family visited in September, my Dad made sure we took the time to remake the RIGHT recipe with huge success! Yup, it was as amazing as I remember it to be, and now I make it all the time for my kiddos! Thanks, Daddy!

*This is enough to do about 1 French Bread loaf

Ingredients

1 cube Margarine (you CAN use butter, but it won’t be as creamy)
1/2 tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2 tbsp. plus 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese (use the green container kind)
1/6 cup Mayo
1 tbsp. Parsley

Directions

In a stand mixer (or by hand, if you really must) combine all of the ingredients and whip until it’s doubled in size. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
The flavor is best after the 1st day, after all the ingredients have really come together.

Note: It also freezes really well, so make a larger batch and store some for another time!

Homemade Marshmallow Cream

October 3, 2014 by Danielle

I love simple recipes, don’t you? Especially ones that don’t cost a fortune in ingredients! This Homemade Marshmallow Cream is just the thing for super easy and uses just a few basic, often on-hand items!

I’m a sucker for marshmallow things. S’mores, rocky road recipes, everything! Now when it comes to the cream, it’s even worse, and I could eat it straight all day. Ya, I’m terrible, I know! I really hate buying the expensive stuff at the store, though…and a lot of it seems to be wasted in the jar that I can’t scrape out. Well, this Homemade Marshmallow Cream isn’t just one of my new go-to recipes, but it’s also one of Hubby’s favorite things for me to make!

You don’t even have to buy funky ingredients, which makes it even better. 5 things, that’s all you need! I highly recommend using a stand mixer for this, or your wrist will get pretty tired!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup Sugar
3 Large Egg Whites
1/4 cup Water
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Directions

Put the sugar, egg whites, water and cream of tartar in a bowl (preferably a mixer bowl, if possible). Whisk until foamy, about 2 minutes. Place this bowl into a large pot of simmering water over medium heat. Whisk about 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the bowl from the stove. Beat on high power about 15 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla until mixed in.
Store covered, in the fridge.

See, super simple with a handful of ingredients and you’ve got this super creamy, delicious (and totally addictive) Homemade Marshmallow Cream! Yumm-o!

Cheesy Cauliflower Dip

June 27, 2014 by Danielle

We have a ~~ridiculous amount~~ lot of cut up cauliflower in our freezer. Bags upon bags! My oh-so-wise self (yes, being sarcastic here) saw a great deal on 35 pounds of cauliflower for an insanely cheap price, so I got it. Yes, we like cauliflower, but that was way more than I was imagining in my head! So I’ve been slowly going through new recipes in which I can use it up, before it’s too old. One of my new favorites is this Cheesy Cauliflower Dip!

Remember some of my other cauliflower dishes, such as my Creamy Cauliflower Pasta? Yum! This is equally as tasty as that dish! Man, oh man, the cheesy-ness of this Cheesy Cauliflower Dip is seriously delish! Plus, it’s super easy to make…score!

Ingredients

1 cup Cauliflower, steamed/softened
Olive Oil for drizzle
1/4 tsp. & 3/4 tsp. Salt
2 pinches Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
12 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup Mayo
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
1/2 cup & 3/4 cup White Cheddar
1 tbsp. & Sprinkle Parsley
1/2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 packed cups Spinach, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. Garlic, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F. Spray or line a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, toss the Cauliflower with a drizzle of Oil, 1/4 tsp. Salt, pinch Cayenne, 1/4 tsp. Paprika, 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder, and 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder. Spread on baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. When done, remove and allow to cool a bit. Turn oven to 450 Degrees F.
In a medium bowl, mix the Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Mayo, Parmesan, 1/2 cup White Cheddar, Parsley, Lemon Juice, Salt and pinch of Cayenne.
Add in the Spinach, Cauliflower, and Garlic. Scoop mixture into a sprayed pie dish. Top with 3/4 cup White Cheddar. Bake at 450 Degrees F for 15 minutes, or until cheese on top has slightly browned. Remove, sprinkle Parsley on top, allow to cool a bit and enjoy as a dip for chips, breads or other snacks!

Sinful Steamed Pudding

May 28, 2014 by Danielle

Note: if you don’t like talking about ‘that time of the month’, skip to the bottom to find the recipe. Otherwise, let me tell you the story of how I managed upon this AMAZING Sinful Steamed Pudding!

Two weeks ago was my ‘girly’ week of the month. Not going to sugar coat it, but it sucked. I texted my WONDERFUL friend Amy and was like “I’m cramping like a beast and think I may kill something if I don’t do a chocolate binge”. That’s word-for-word what I said! She was a saving angel because she not only gave me this recipe that became my addiction for the entire weekend, but also lent me her pan so I could make it ASAP! Yup, she rocks!

This Steamed Pudding is seriously sinful….but in a ‘just one more bowl full’ type of way! You know how my hubby doesn’t like most chocolate? He LOVED this. And I don’t mean we ate it all up in one night…well, we did…but we made it THREE times that weekend! And no, we didn’t share any with the kids, we ate every last bit ourselves. We’re selfish like that I guess (but I did make the kids their favorite cookies, so I’m not a total mommy failure, right?!).

Notes: You need to have a fluted pan, or borrow one. Something small enough to go into a pot, and with a lid.

Ingredients

1 stick Butter
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
6 Rounded Tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa
1 cup Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla

Directions

Spray your fluted pan VERY WELL all around the inside.
In a bowl, cream the Butter and Sugar, then mix in the Eggs.
Mix the Flour, Salt, Baking Powder and Cocoa in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture along with the Milk and Vanilla. Pour the mixture into the fluted pan.
In a large pot (big enough to fit your fluted pan) bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil over medium heat. Place your pan CAREFULLY into the pot with the lid on.
Cook for about 30-35 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn cake-like. It’s suppose to be gooey in the inside, and slightly cakey on the outside.
Serve warm or cold, alone or with a topping such as whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes: It’s also FABULOUS as a pudding dip for fruit, such as strawberries. Yumm-o!

Cheese Filled Zucchini Bites

May 19, 2014 by Danielle

Lately I’m going through a zucchini phase. It’s not that I use to hate zucchini…I’ve always liked it, but lately I absolutely LOVE it! Like, I get giddy when I see they’re on sale for 99 Cents per pound! Plus, you can do so much with them, and have it turn out super delicious. These Cheese Filled Zucchini Bites are no exception!

When I find zucchini on sale, I buy a whole bunch, then cook them up in different ways for the week. Such as these Lemon & White Wine Veggies, or just saute them in a pan with Worcester sauce. One we tried this past week that was totally delish were these Cheese Filled Zucchini Bites!

Ingredients

8 tbsp. Whipped Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp. Salt
Tiny Sprinkle Onion Powder
2-4 tbsp. Olive Oil
3-4 Small Zucchini

Directions

In a bowl, mix the first 5 Ingredients (all except Olive Oil and Zucchini) together until well-combined. Refrigerate at least 1 hour
Remove the ends from the Zucchini, then slice length-wise into 1/4 inch slices. Discard the very edge slices with mostly skin on them.
Brush both sides of the slices with Olive Oil, then cook in a pan over medium heat until zucchini is tender.
Allow zucchini slices to cool. Spread 1/2 tbsp. of the cheese spread on each slice, then roll up and secure with a tooth pick. Serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Choco-Nana Fruit Dip

March 11, 2014 by Danielle

You know how I really, REALLY like chocolate? Well, I’ve been trying to find sneaky smart ways to get my chocolate fix, but also stay healthy at the same time. After all, healthy doesn’t mean NO chocolate…just everything in moderation. So by mixing my love of chocolate with my love of fruit, we have: Choco-Nana Fruit Dip. Fun, huh?!

Choco-Nana Fruit Dip / Busy Mom's Helper

Okay, so I know there’s a LOT of ways you can customize this fruit dip, so just keep an open mind. Want to try yours with something else blended in? Go ahead! After all, it’s YOUR treat – and it really is hard to mess up just by adding a bit of something you know you like.

Ingredients
1 Medium Banana
1-2 tbsp. Cocoa (I prefer sweetened, but it’s fine unsweetened)
1/4 cup Yogurt (plain or vanilla is what I use)
2+ tbsp. Milk (start with 2, then add more until your each your desired consistency)
2-3 Strawberries

Directions
Put everything in a blender. Blend. ENJOY!

Ideas for Add-ins
Avocado
Pineapple
Mango
Coconut
Spinach (veggie, but could still add some extra nutrition!)
Pears
Orange
Protein Powder
Almonds or other nut
Peanut Butter
Nutella (try this instead of cocoa powder)

Celebratory Oreo Fluff Dip

June 26, 2013 by Danielle

Say that ten times fast: Celebratory Oreo…Celebratory Oreo…Celebra – ya, that’s about where my tongue did flips! I really love Oreos – they’re just so good, especially with milk. When I first tried the Birthday Oreos, oh my goodness, it was heaven! I mean, seriously, how can they get any better? Well, make them into this fabulous Celebratory Oreo Fluff Dip with marshmallows and pudding, that’s how!

Celebratory Oreo Fluff Dip / by Busy Mom's Helper #Oreo #Dessert #Pudding

Wonder Woman’s absolute favorite type of Oreo are the Birthday Oreos. If I give her a choice, she picks these Every. Single. Time! Not that I’m complaining… 😀 This Celebratory Oreo Dip is just perfect…the right amount of chocolaty goodness, puffy marshmallows, and sweet pudding to bring it all together.

Ingredients

1 box White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
2 cups Milk
8 oz. Whipped topping
24 Birthday Oreos, crushed
2 Cups Mini Marshmallows
Sprinkles, for topping, if desired

Directions

In a medium bowl, crush the Oreos. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the Pudding Mix and Milk until well-blended. Stir in the Whipped Topping, Oreos and Marshmallows in fully incorporated.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add sprinkles for extra colorful fun!

Notes: The longer it sits in the refrigerator, the puffier the marshmallows get and the less crunchy the oreo pieces are.

Tangy Balsamic Salad Dressing

June 9, 2013 by Danielle

So I must confess, originally I was trying to do a copy-cat Olive Garden dressing because I was really craving Olive Garden. It’s one of my (many) favorite restaurants, yet we’re trying very hard to not eat out so we have more to spend on our home that’s being built. It would be much easier if I had a decent sized kitchen so I can actually COOK whatever we wanted. Oh well, it’ll be worth it, right? Right! Anywho….so I was trying to do that recipe, when I realized some of the things I definitely needed, I didn’t have on hand. After deciding I was much too lazy to get out of my pj pants (at about 5pm, by the way) to run to the store, I decided to see what I did have on hand that would make a delicious salad dressing. When I pulled out the balsamic vinegar, I had a ‘lightbulb’ moment and immediately set to making a Tangy Balsamic Salad Dressing. It turned out great, and helped me avoid my urge to eat out – bonus!!!

Tangy Balsamic Salad Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 cup Mayo or Miracle Whip
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp. Corn Syrup
3 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, shredded
3 tbsp. Romano Cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Parsley, flakes
2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Directions
Add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth and creamy.

Toss in a salad with fresh greens, tomatoes, croutons and other toppings as desired. Sprinkle a little Parmesan or Romano cheese on top.

Enjoy!!!