No matter what team you are cheering for, you’ll want this Taco Dip for Game Day! Made from a delicious homemade taco spice blend, cream cheese and sour cream this is an indulgent appetizer perfect for a crowd!
Well, it’s that time of year in Canada. The one where every weeknight it seems friends are huddled around a TV in living rooms and pubs from coast to coast. Personally, whether cheering on the Jet or the Blue Bombers, I prefer to stay in or go to a friend’s house than a bar. Mainly, the beer is a lot cheaper but I also like to be able to snack on homemade treats and dishes.
I was recently invited on CTV Morning Live to chat about the best game day dishes. (When the segment airs, I’ll share it here!) Fun, snackable dishes you can bring-out before or during the game. It was a super fun segment to film and I showed my true colours (if ya know what I mean ;)) We chatted about why you should make your own taco seasoning and showed the differences between the two. Not only is it tastier, way less salty but it actually is cheaper! The taco seasoning I make for this dip is very close to the blend I suggest for my Tacos. The main difference is in the recipe for Tacos, I use real onions and in the taco seasoning with this dip I use onion powder. Feel free to interchange them as you wish, but i prefer the base of this Game Day Taco Dip to be smooth!
You may also notice I do not have cheese on this Game Day Taco Dip. That’s intentional, folks! I feel like this dip is so rich and dairy based to begin with that topping it off with more cheese is overkill. I’d rather cube up cheese and have some garlic sausage and crackers also on the table instead of layering all the goodness on the dip. It’s a way to stretch out your budget and put out more treats!
Talking about rounding-out your Game Day spread, May I suggest a few other dishes? Personally, I love to put out a homemade medley of mixed nuts. It’s an affordable treat if you head to your grocery store’s bulk section and make your own! My only tip with that is always select the salted/roasted nuts. You don’t want plain blanches nuts to munch on sadly when the other team scores…
Guys, those aren’t shots of tequila. That’s fireball! Get the party started, right?
Looking for a few more dishes? I reached-out to a few friends from Food Bloggers of Canada and put together this yummy list of Affordable Game Day Snacks!
- The Simplest Vegetarian Baked Wontons by How To Eat
Not only to these wontons look packed with flavour, but my friends Dara and Erin (who I am hanging-out with later this month but more on that later!) also made a delicious side dipping sauce! Heck ya. - Truffled Hot Cheese Dip with Mushrooms by Crumb
Remember how last month I made a delicious omelette with mushrooms and Bothwell’s Black Truffle Monterey Jack? Yea, well…. Isabelle totally ‘One Upped’ me with her Dairy Farmers of Canada post and turned the same flavours into a decadent cheese dip! - White Cheddar Popcorn by ME!
Speaking of #CanadianCheese, my recipe from earlier this year for White Cheddar Popcorn was part of the same campaign. I brought it along to my segment at CTV and there wasn’t any left once I was all packed up! - Korean BBQ Jackfruit Sliders by Killing Thyme
Dana seriously knocks it out of the park with this inventive and tantalizing recipe. Jackfruit is a trending meat replacement and perfect for the vegetarians in your life and tasty enough for everyone else. Plus, this recipe only takes 30 minutes so you can throw this together during halftime easily! - Sweet & Sour Ham Balls by Kitchen Frau
This is one seriously cool retro dish! Please, please, please click this link and check-out the photos and how you make these budget friendly appetizers. Thanks for the suggestion, Margaret! - Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups by Eyecandypopper
My #1 pet peeve at sports gatherings is that everyone seems to overlook the sweets! I love a good savoury dish, but think every spread should have a nice sweet treat or two. Gabby’s Peanut Butter Cups are delicious and guilt free! - Easy Roasted Garlic Hummus by Girl Heart Food
Not every dish for the big game needs to be heavy, cheesey and calorie ladden. I love a good hummus and Dawn made a delicious one full of garlic. Oh, yes please! - Baked Sriracha Chicken Wings by The Cookie Writer
As much as I don’t enjoy the clean-up of wings, there is no denying these are a Game Day staple and would be a great dish to round-out any snack spread. Kacey’s version brings the spice!
Phew! That was one delicious sounding round-up wasn’t it? Which recipe are you going to try?
Game Day Taco Dip
Ingredients
Taco Spice Mixture
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or more, if additional heat is desired
- 1 tsp salt
Dip Base
- 1 block cream cheese softened
- 1 container (500ml) 14% sour cream
Optional Toppings (as pictured)
- 1/2 cup iceburg lettuce shredded
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup jalapenos finely diced with seeds removed
- 1/3 cup roma tomaotes finely diced
Instructions
- Mix spice ingredients together in small bowl. Set aside.
- In medium size mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream with hand beater on medium-high, until no clumps remain.
- Add spices to cream cheese mixture and beat until just combined.
- Spread mixture into a 9x9 or 9x13 pan, depending on desired thickness of dip. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Once guests arrive, remove cover and top with lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos and green onions. Serve with chips. Leftovers do not keep well, so encourage your guests to finish the dip before the night is through!
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