Creamy Red Pepper and Collard Greens Dip
Even though the Superbowl is right around the corner, I’m just not that in to it this year… Maybe it’s because I don’t care about either of the teams playing. Maybe it’s because with the move I’ve been distracted and haven’t been into football much at all this year…
Not really being in to the GAME, doesn’t mean I’m not in to the food associated with the big game. Football food is one of my favorites. It’s all snacky and portable and indulgent. Take this dip for example. It can be made ahead of time then just heated when you get to your Superbowl party. And, it’s unique enough to stand out from the array of buffalo chicken dip, caramelized onion dip, and whatever other dips are on the spread.
Depending on the size of the gathering you’re going to, I like to serve this in individual ramekins. A couple people can share one little dish and it works perfectly for smaller football watching gatherings.
One Year Ago: White Chocolate Frito Popcorn and Mini Roast Beef, Goat Cheese, and Radish Sandwiches
Two Years Ago: Oatmeal Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies and Mini Whole Wheat Bagels
Three Years Ago: Butternut Squash and Spinach Casserole
Four Years Ago: Chicken Wings
Five Years Ago: White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes and White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes – take two
Creamy Red Pepper and Collard Greens Dip
Yield: Serves 12-14
Ingredients:
2 slices bacon
1 small onion, chopped (~1 cup)
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 lb fresh collard greens, trimmed of stalks and veins, chopped (~6 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, cubed and softened
1/2 cup (2 oz) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towel. Set aside.
Discard all but 2 teaspoons of bacon drippings from skillet. Add onion and sweet pepper to skillet, and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add collard greens and garlic; cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add cream cheese, cheese, sour cream, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) to the collard mixture, stirring until combined.
Crumble bacon and add to collard mixture.
Spread mixture in a 1-1/2-quart casserole dish, 9-inch pie plate, or individual ramekins. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Serve with vegetable strips, chips or crackers for dipping.
Recipe from Ezra Pound Cake
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
This sounds like a tasty dip, and I love that it’s so colorful! I can definitely relate – I’m not into the Superbowl game this year (we recently moved, too, and I prefer college football), but I am ALL about the food!
beantownbaker — January 25th, 2013 @ 6:12 pm
Were you guys moving during the holidays? We moved into our apartment on 12/21. It was rough… Even when it’s teams that I like, it’s still mostly about the food
i do love football food, and i’ve been meaning to try my hand at collard greens
We didn’t move as recently as you! We made our move in October…and I’m just starting to feel settled. It is rough… Of course, the kitchen was the first room put together!
Approximately how much collard greens do you need? Can you use canned? This sounds terrific…like a soul food dip!
beantownbaker — January 27th, 2013 @ 4:08 pm
Sorry about that. Missed a key ingredient in the recipe. I updated it now. I used a pound of fresh collard greens. I haven’t tried it with canned. Let me know how it goes if you do.
I’m so not into the Super Bowl this year either, but I can always get behind some football food. I’m still trying to decide what to make for next weekend. This dip sounds so good!
YUM! I’ve never seen collards in a dip before.