A dear friend of mine recently asked for some suggestions for an appetizer that would hold up for a couple of days due to her hectic schedule. She needed an upscale appetizer to take to a semi-formal party and, after much thought, I came up with these colorful little dip cups that we like to call Mediterranean Dip Shooters.
Why Dip Shooters, you ask? Well, they fit the bill on multiple levels. They use many pre-made items from the grocery store, which made them easier to prepare than completely homemade; they will keep in the refrigerator for a few days because they are in small glasses, which can easily be covered with plastic wrap until you need them; and they are attractive to look at with the four distinct layers and colorful garnishes.
Plus, they taste great! If you don’t want to make all four and just want to put one in a bowl with chips, go right ahead. There are no rules with food, so make them as simple or complicated as you want.
Loads of Layers
These shooters are four different dips layered in three ounce shooter cups. Each dip contains different ingredients that are found in the Mediterranean. The four dips are: a kalamata olive dip, a pesto arugula and grilled artichoke dip, a four-cheese mushroom dip, and a roasted red pepper/sun-dried tomato dip.
The kalamata olive dip is made by combining Tassos brand Mediterranean Olive Spread, red pepper flakes, and cottage cheese in a food processor and pulsing it until smooth.
The pesto dip is made the same way, except it contains prepared pesto from the grocery store (though homemade is always better), fresh arugula, and drained grilled artichoke hearts. Feel free to use either plain or marinated artichoke hearts to suit your tastes.
The four-cheese mushroom dip is made with a ton of rich, Wisconsin cheeses. We used Sargento Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, BelGioioso Mascarpone Cheese, Roth Buttermilk Gorgonzola, and Stella Parmesan cheeses along with a little mayo, sour cream, and either white truffle oil or wild mushroom oil. (I purchased the white truffle and wild mushrooms oils at a local oil and vinegar shop. You can omit these or substitute ground porcini mushrooms if they are more readily avalable.)
Lastly, the red pepper/tomato dip combines Tassos brand Roasted Red Pepper Spread and a prepared sun-dried tomato spread.
Dip in Style
Each dip recipe makes about a cup and a half and is certainly delicious on its own. However, when you layer the dips in small glasses, they create a beautiful combination of flavors and colors that make a unique and delicious appetizer. Add a garnish of some hot or sweet miniature peppers, vegetables, or a slice of salami, and serve them with bread sticks for dipping and you have a self-contained multi-dip explosion of flavors that makes for fun eating.
This savory, grown-up take on Fun Dip candy will keep your guests coming back for more. After all, who doesn’t like favor-packed dips for our favorite crunchy treats? Ummm, nobody.
So, the next time you are trying to decide what to make for your upcoming football tailgate, wedding shower, or retirement party, think about trying these Mediterranean Dip Shooters. You can check out the full recipe below. And guess what? Any leftovers can be used for our awesome Mediterranean Saucy Meatball Bake that is easy, cheesy, and delicious. We’ll show you how to make that in our next article, so come back soon! Until then, remember to cook with love and live to cook.
Jim & Jena
Mediterranean Dip Shooters
Ingredients
Olive Dip
- 12 ounces Prepared kalamata olive spread such as Tassos brand
- 1/4 cup Cottage cheese
- 1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes
Pesto Dip
- 1 cup Pesto prepared
- 1 cup Arugula
- 1 cup Grilled artichoke hearts drained
Cheese Dip
- 1/2 cup Whole milk ricotta cheese such as Sargento
- 1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese such as BelGioioso
- 2 Tbsp. Gorgonzola cheese crumbled such as Roth
- 2 Tbsp. Grated parmesan cheese such as Stella
- 1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. Sour cream such as Organic Valley
- 1/2 tsp. White truffle or wild mushroom oil optional
Roasted Pepper/Tomato Dip
- 1 cup Prepared roasted red pepper & cheese spread such as Tassos
- 1/2 cup Prepared sun-dried tomato spread or sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 1/2 cup Roasted Red peppers drained
- 24 Small pickled peppers
- 25 slices salami or pepperoni
- 50 Thin bread sticks cut in half
- Fresh parsley or basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive dip ingredients. Puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a one quart resealable plastic bag. Wash and dry food processor parts.
- Add ingredients for the pesto dip to the bowl of the food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a one quart resealable plastic bag. Wash and dry food processor parts.
- Add ingredients for the cheese dip to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a one quart resealable plastic bag. Wash and dry food processor parts.
- Add ingredients for the roasted pepper/tomato dip to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a one quart resealable plastic bag. Wash and dry food processor parts.
- Cut the tip from one corner of each bag. Squeeze about 1 tablespoon of each mixture into 24 3 oz. shooter glasses in whatever order you'd like.
- Garnish with small pickled peppers, a slice of salami or pepperoni, or a sprig of parsley or basil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before guests arrive, place one bread stick half into each shooter glass and serve. Serve with additional bread sticks for dipping.
Love these! Can’t wait to try them out at my next party.
Thanks Raf!!