It's the Friday before Christmas! And if you're like me, you will have a few Christmas dinners and gatherings to be able to celebrate with both sides of the family. Our first gathering is this weekend, followed by more family next week. And there are office parties, neighborhood drop-bys, and other holiday events all over the place! So what's more appropriate than this Creamy Dried Beef and Cheese Dip which is my super favorite go-to holiday appetizer for parties, gatherings, and hosting! It's so easy. It's pretty with lots of color. And wait til ya taste it!
There are a few variations of this dip too! For the sake of time, you can bake it in a pie dish which is what I usually do. Plus I have a love affair with pie plates. So I'll put just about anything in a vintage milk glass or Pyrex pie dish. OR if you're feeling fancy, you can hollow out a sourdough round and bake the dip inside the bread bowl, using the torn bread innards in place of crackers. OR you can choose NOT to bake it at all, roll the cream cheese mixture into a ball, cover it in the chopped pecans, and serve it chilled with crackers as the best cheese ball you've ever eaten in your life. Cheese balls get such a bad rap, but this one changes all that.
No matter how you choose to present this creamy dried beef and cheese number, it's sure to be a real hit!
CREAMY DRIED BEEF AND CHEESE DIP
{makes one 9-inch pie dish or an 8x8 square baker}
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 jar dried beef, chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
A jar of dried beef looks like THIS and is usually located by the tuna and other canned meat;
but don't be afraid...it's like corned beef-meets-pepperoni
1/2 -1 cup of chopped pecans
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, Worcestershire, chopped onions, and dried beef together and spoon into a greased dish or into the middle of a hollowed sourdough round. Spread top with chopped pecans, and bake for 35 minutes at 325 degrees.
Serve with Wheat Thins or crackers of your choice.
