Everything dip (for veggies, chips, crackers, etc.)

This dip is a great alternative to premade refrigerated sour cream dips, which are often expensive and full of preservatives. This is also a perfect food for grazing, and therefore a great thing to make for or bring to a party or barbecue because it is easy to make and transport, looks pretty surrounded with colorful vegetables, and is always popular.

Yet another reason to stock up on the cheese

I usually pick up a brick or two of cream cheese when I fund it for under a dollar so I can have it around, mainly in case I need to make a dip for a party. When I find sharp cheddar for a dollar or less, I’ll usually buy four, more if the dates are really far out. We go through a fair amount of sour cream in this house, but I try to pay around $1.50 for a 16 oz container. I have recently noticed some weird ingredients in some brands though, so I now look for milk and/or cream, and enzymes only. The tub in the picture above cost me $1.64 at Caputo’s after $.55/1 coupon from last year’s 9/9 SS. The rest of the stuff is cheap and in small amounts: jalapenos, green onions, cumin, garlic, and hot sauce. The jalapenos came from my garden and the onions were left over after using them from a few meals. This dip cost about $2.50 for about 24 oz of dip, so compare $1.25 to the typical 12 oz container. The premade dips will occasionally be cheaper with a good sale and coupons, but to me, this is a small amount to pay for something homemade and way tastier.

Slightly more work than scraping the dip off the plastic under the lid

Let the cream cheese come to room temperature to soften, Finely shred 4-6 oz sharp white cheddar. Mince a clove of garlic and a jalapeno or two and finely slice a couple of green onions.

Put the cream cheese in a bowl with a cup of sour cream and add the garlic and a teaspoon each of ground cumin and hot pepper sauce. It really doesn’t matter what kind you use, just whichever has the flavor you prefer. I always have Louisiana on hand because it is simple, cheap, and is great for making buffalo sauce. Mash all of that together until it is well blended.

Mix in the jalapeno and green onion and refrigerate for about an hour before serving to let the flavors combine. Serve with raw vegetables, crackers, potato chips, etc.