Dips. You know. That creamy snack. The one surrounded by a platter of chips or crackers?

Well, The Food Network recently published their list of THE most popular dips in each of the 50 U.S. states.

Personally, we’ve never put much faith in any of these types of articles. It’s food “click bait”. But, being a sucker to find out what a network based in New York thinks we Michigander’s like for our dips, I scrolled from Alabama through Massachusetts to finally learn.

Now if you spend any amount of time in Nino’s snack or dairy aisle, you’d probably guess it to be French Onion Dip, or Spinach Dip or maybe even a Nacho Cheese Dip.

Nope. According to The Food Network, it’s….wait for it.

Smoked Whitefish Dip.

Riiiiiiiighttt….

Maybe their “Detroit” based office is really in the Leelanau Peninsula. But I must admit that I DO enjoy a hearty meal-like dip every now and then. And I have 4 very satisfying recipes for you to consider making.

NOTE: As these dips are rather hearty, I could recommend that they all be served with a small spoon.

Chicken Enchilada Dip with Tortilla Chips (Admittedly, one of my very favorite recipes)

Serves 4

3 Cups Tortilla Chips. Broken

2 TBSP Vegetable Oil

½ Cup Onion, Chopped

½ Cup Bell Peppers (Any Color) Chopped

2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken Meat, Cooked Diced

1 – 12 oz Can La Preferida Enchilada Sauce

1 ½ Cups Monterey Jack / Cheddar Cheese

½ Cup + Sour Cream

¼ Cup Cilantro, Chopped

Optional Jalapeno’s (Fresh or Canned) Chopped

To Dip Tortilla Chips

1. Sauté onions and peppers until tender.

2. Stir together the 3 cups of crushed tortilla chips, onion, peppers, chicken, enchilada sauce and cheese.

3. Place the mixture in an oven proof casserole dish (covered) and cook at 350 F for approximately 45 minutes.

4. Remove casserole from the oven, shred it all up with a fork while hot, and stir in the sour cream and chopped cilantro.

5. *Adjust consistency with additional enchilada sauce or sour cream as desired.

6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Firehouse Sirloin Chili Cheese Dip with Fritos

There IS a recipe for this chili on Nino’s website, but it’s made much easier if you just stop by the Nino’s fresh soup display and pick up a pint.

1 Pt. Nino’s Firehouse Sirloin Chili

½ Lb. Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

½ Cup Sour Cream

½ Cup Beer (Optional)

To Taste Salt & Pepper

¼ Cup Green Onion, Chopped

1. Heat Nino’s Firehouse Sirloin Chili until bubbly on medium-low heat.

2. Shred cheese and add to chili, stirring in until melted.

3. Add sour cream and stir in.

4. Add beer (optional) and stir in.

5. Add salt and pepper to season to taste.

6. Heat dip through and place in a fondue pot or warming dish.

7. Garnish top of dip with chopped green onions.

8. Serve with Frito’s or Tortilla Chips

Optional Ingredients:

· Chopped jalapeno

· Small, diced Roma tomato

NORTHERN SMOKE BBQ Pork & Beans with Smoked Gouda with Oven Baked Soft Flour Tortilla Chips

Serves 4 to 6 persons

This is an adaptation of a recipe I recently shared in the December Blog entitled 4 Easy December Meals.

1 Lb. + Nino’s Northern Smoke Pulled Pork

1 Lb. + Nino’s Northern Smoke Pork & Beans

3 to 4 Roma Tomatoes, Chopped

2 Cups Smoked Gouda Cheese, Shredded

1 – 16 oz. can Refried Beans

1 Cup Sour Cream

4 10” Soft Flour Tortillas, Cut into Chip Size Pieces

As Needed Vegetable Cooking Spray

To Taste Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

Optional Northern Smoke BBQ Sauce

1. Begin by making the chips.

2. Cut the flour tortilla into 3” x 3” pieces and lay them flat on a cookie sheet.

3. Spray the chips evenly with the vegetable spray and then sprinkle with coarse sea salt (or kosher salt) and coarsely ground black pepper.

4. Bake the chips in a 350 F oven until lightly browned. They will “crisp up” once removed from the oven.

5. Next, in a mixing bowl, stir together the pulled pork, pork and beans, tomatoes, cheese and refried beans. Cook covered at 350 F for 30 minutes then remove from the oven and stir in the sour cream.

6. Serve with warm flour tortilla chips.

NOTE: I would recommend you have a bottle of Northern Smoke BBQ sauce which you can use to adjust this “dip’s” consistency after stirring in the sour cream.

Marketplace Pizza Dip with Fried Pizza Dough

Who doesn’t like pizza?

1 Pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese, Softened

1 tsp Italian Seasoning (50/50 Oregano/Basil)

1 Cup Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese Blend, Shredded (Available at Nino’s)

3/4 Cup Romano Cheese, Grated

1 Cup Nino’s Market Café Pizza Sauce

½ Cup Margherita Pepperoni, Chopped

2 TBSP Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

2 TBSP Green Onion, Chopped

1 -14 oz Bag Nino’s Fresh Pizza Dough

1. Begin by flouring a half size amount of the fresh pizza dough and rolling out on a flat surface to the thickness of a cracker. It’s best to use WELL chilled dough and take your time. The dough will only stretch so much at a time, and it will take a half dozen rolls, with refrigerated rest in between to get the dough thin.

2. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and cut into 2’ x 2” size pieces. Place the pieces, oil side up on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 F approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

3. Remove the “chips” from the oven and keep warm.

4. Next, stir together the cream cheese and Italian seasonings and spread the mixture on the bottom of a microwave safe, shallow casserole dish.

5. Combine the 2 cheeses and sprinkle half of it over the cream cheese mixture.

6. Combine the pizza sauce with the pepperoni and green bell peppers (add mushrooms or other garnishes if you like) then pour it evenly over the cheeses.

7. Top the sauce with the 2nd half of the cheese mixture and microwave on medium high setting for 3 to 5 minutes or, until the cheese is bubbly and all ingredients are heated thoroughly.

8. Sprinkle with the green onions.

9. Serve with the warm, semi-soft pizza dough “chips”

BONUS DIP!!

Smoked Whitefish Dip

Ok, so maybe it isn’t really our state’s most popular dip but it’s still delicious and I have a simple recipe for you to enjoy it.

½ Lb. Smoked Whitefish, De-boned, Flaked

½ Lb. Cream Cheese

¼ Cup Mayonnaise

2 tsp. Roasted Garlic Cloves, Minced

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4 tsp. Granulated Onion

2 tsp. Brown Sugar

3 drops Liquid Smoke

1/4 tsp. Tabasco Sauce

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 tsp. Dry Parsley Flakes

1. Puree all ingredients in a food processor except dry parsley flakes.

2. Add dry parsley flakes and stir in.

3. Portion into small crocks.

4. Chill.

We hope you enjoyed these recipes for hearty dips.

VISIT OUR RECIPES PAGE

HERE’S 25 MORE RECIPES FOR HEARTY DIPS, FROM THE SCRAMBLED CHEFS