Pistachio Cheese Dip
Sometimes recipes just seem to call out to you. During my semi-cooking hiatus, I was unwinding with a cookbook late at night (yes, I'm that much of a foodie geek--I like to read cookbooks in bed--do I get some sort of prize for honesty?!! No matter!) and as I was leafing through I spied this little gem. It looked and sounded so tempting, so I bookmarked it to test out when I finally had the time and energy to attempt any non-essential cooking. Well, now that my schedule has calmed down a bit and I had the excuse of not only holiday entertaining but also football season, I remembered about this goodie and promptly whipped it up. WARNING: Do not make this if you are lacking in willpower!! It's not exactly low-cal and I don't want to undo anyone's hard work!! But if you can keep yourself from going caveman and scooping up massive handfuls, I urge you to make this dip asap! It hits all the 3 C's--creamy, crunchy and cheesy!! Divine! To say it was a major hit is a bit of an understatement. Even after I had put away the leftovers from the pre-dinner spread, I found more than one guest delving into the refrigerator to get more of this spread!! It's really yummy and unique, with the wonderful mixture of cream cheese, sharp cheddar, roasted pistachios and spices. And easy to make too! So glad I listened to its voice--and this coupled with my recent cookbook-reading-in-bed admission, definitely qualifies me for crazy lady status--Ignore all the chatter and just make this wonderful concoction. I promise you'll love it!!
Pistachio Cheese Dip
Makes about 2 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes of chilling time to allow the flavors to come together
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled, roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 16 ounces sharp white Cheddar, freshly grated at room temperature (grate before you bring it to room temperature--makes it much easier)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use light if you like)
- 1/2 cup milk (using whole makes it creamier)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
The Recipe
1. Use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese, Cheddar, mayonnaise and milk until smooth. Then add in the garlic salt, onion powder, pepper, salt, parsley and vinegar and mix well. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the pistachios.
2. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with some kind of sturdy cracker, like pita chips.
3. Dip can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Trisha's Table by Trisha Yearwood. I used already roasted pistachios instead of roasting raw ones and cut the 1/4 teaspoon dill weed.
