One thing Southerners can always be certain of is that with any celebration, no matter how large or small the gathering may be, there’s always going to be a delicious spread of party appetizers nearby. While the main course is always the highlight of the event, we like to think the appetizer sets the stage and ensures that your crew gets a good taste of what’s to come. We’ve rounded up our favorite easy dip and spread recipes for every gathering you host or attend this year.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
We took the all-time reader favorite casserole into a dip that won’t disappoint. Onion is the star ingredient, which is enhanced by mild Cheddar, smoked Gouda, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Our signature take on this classic dip ditches frozen spinach for fresh, which has both a better flavor and color, but also saves time.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
You can slather this classic pimiento cheese between a couple slices of white bread to serve it just the way our former First Lady did (to strangers on planes no less!), or scoop it into a bowl for optimal dipping and snacking at your next party.
Skyler Burt
The classic sandwich is reimagined in dip form, and has everything you love about the original. This savory snack will be hit, especially during the summertime when tomatoes are at their peak. This dip is best smeared on slices of crostini.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
You can make this spinach dip up to three days ahead of your party. But if you need to whip something up last minute, don’t fear: it only takes 10 minutes. While you can serve it right after mixing, we recommend letting it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving so all the flavors can really meld together.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
This taco dip is an instant crowd-pleaser. Refried beans, a spicy sour cream mix, guacamole, salsa, cheese, lettuce, and fresh pico de gallo make for a creamy dip with layers of flavor.
Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox
You can never go wrong with with a container full of pimiento cheese that takes just a few minutes to prepare—no cooking required. Make sure to shred the cheese yourself and buy diced pimientos—not sliced. We shred the cheeses at different thicknesses for multi-layered texture.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
The longest step in this savory-sweet spread is letting the bacon crisp up. Then it cooks in a syrup of brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Serve over goat cheese, Brie, or roasted vegetables.
Antonis Achilleos
Adding some fresh ingredients to your summertime salsa will help spice it up with bright flavor. Corn, peppers, and tomatoes do most of the work, with the aid of fresh-squeezed lime juice and cumin. Browning the corn and cumin in a cast-iron skillet brings out a wonderful toasty fragrance.
Caitlin Bensel
Spinach-artichoke dip is always a party favorite due to its creamy texture and cheesy flavors. This could be the only spinach-artichoke dip you’ll ever need, using frozen artichokes instead of canned ones for the best flavor. Panko bread crumbs add crunch to every gooey bite.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos
Texas Caviar is turned into a warm and gooey multi-layered dip in this recipe. Grab a tortilla chip and dig in for the full Southwest effect. You appetizer repertoire just got a little spicier.
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Try something different at your next holiday party with this spicy, tangy cranberry dip. This seasonal dip requires just 10 minutes of hands-on time and can be prepared a few days in advance of serving. It’s equally delicious on water crackers, a toasted bagel, or your turkey sandwiches the day after the party.
Caitlin Bensel
Transform just six ingredients into a classic dip that belongs at any gathering with this easy recipe. In this recipe, both simplicity and Velveeta are key. Chorizo and green chiles give it plenty of kick.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey
We can’t get enough of this cheesy crab dip, especially when fresh crabmeat is involved. If you need to substitute, use frozen, not canned. If you don’t want to add the extra heat to this crab dip, you can leave the hot sauce off of the ingredient list.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Upgrade pepper jelly by serving it over a warm goat cheese mixture. A good stir will help it spread easily. You can serve this cheesy spread with any crudité and bread.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Sweet corn and spicy jalapeño are a flavor match made in heaven. Even better, this dish can be made in a slow cooker, then garnished with bacon and green onions. Serve with salty corn chips to take the dip to new heights.
Monica Farber / Southern Living
This dip captures what we love about Buffalo wings, but is so much easier to make. Stir together cream cheese, Cheddar, pepper Jack, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and chopped chicken, pour into a casserole dish, and bake. We recommend serving this delicious dip with pretzel chips, celery, and carrots.
Southern Living
Leave it to Southerners to turn collard greens into a delicious take on hot spinach dip. Cooked in a dreamy cheese and mayonnaise mixture, the collards will be scooped clean in 15 minutes flat. This dip gets baked so it turns bubbly and golden brown.
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Slowly caramelize yellow onions before mixing with other ingredients to make this hit. The smooth, tangy base comes from cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce. The most classic companion for this dip is an old-fashioned potato chip,
Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry
Smoother and tangier than its guacamole counterpart, this popular dip is flush with lime juice, jalapeños, and cilantro. You can lighten the dip but maintain its creaminess by using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream. Use any leftovers on your burgers, tacos, and sandwiches.
Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch
This recipe gives you an excuse to try something new in your smoker. Plum tomatoes are perfect for this salsa because they are meaty but still contain a lot of moisture. Pour a pitcher of margaritas and enjoy.
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas
Serve this hot dip at your holiday party with sliced cooked bratwurst, steamed broccoli florets, roasted Brussels sprouts, and roasted fingerling potatoes. They’ll pair wonderfully with this decadent, creamy sauce flavored with dry mustard, Gruyère, Cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, and a lager beer.
Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
You won’t find a bigger hit with a Southern crowd than traditional Texas caviar. In our version, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of vinaigrette and cilantro. Hominy and green tomatoes add a distinctive touch.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Stirred to life by Adam Evans, the chef at award-winning Birmingham restaurant Automatic Seafood and Oysters, this sophisticated dip is smoky and herb-heavy. Capers, lemon juice, and pickles set this snack apart from the rest. Though it has a long ingredient list, all you need to do is stir all those amazing flavors together.
Greg Dupree Styling: Heather Chadduck
Don’t let crawfish season pass by without making this hot dip full of Louisiana flavor. Bell peppers, onions, celery, and Creole mustard simmer with the spicy ingredients. Cooking this dip in a slow cooker will allow you to easily keep it warm until it’s time to serve.
Jennifer Davick
Give a sugary spin to a cream cheese classic with a crisp bruléed topping. Just give the dip time to chill before you caramelize it under the broiler. Crack through the sugary topping and scoop it on slices of apple.
Photo: Iain Bagwell
This creamy dip was adapted from a recipe in Bayou Cuisine by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Indianola, Mississippi. Onions, sherry, and crabmeat combine their subtly sweet flavors in rich cream. Serve with toast points for dipping.
You’ll forget all about that jarred stuff after tasting this easy recipe. The extra step—charring the garlic, peppers, and onions—takes salsa to the next level. Use red jalapeño peppers to deepen the color.
This Southern spin on classic hummus is sure to have everyone talking—and dipping. Many of the ingredients are the same, except for the black-eyed peas which add an earthy flavor. Smoked paprika is the secret touch.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Thickened to perfection with both mayonnaise and sour cream, the fresh crab in this dip still shines through. We’ve added a Lowcountry touch with Old Bay seasoning. Serve with crackers, toast points, and celery sticks.
Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely
Put those summer peaches to good use with this not-so-ordinary salsa recipe. Cilantro and serrano chile add a fun flare to the fruity salsa. Lime juice ties the flavors together and adds some zing.
GREG DUPREE STYLING: CAROLINE M. CUNNINGHAM
This is a tastier version of French onion dip due to the sauteed sweet Vidalia onions. The flavorful veggies are stirred in with a simple mix of sour cream and seasoning. Get those ruffled potato chips and start snacking.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Even though this salsa recipe has no tomatoes in sight, it’s still delicious. Using lots of crunchy cucumbers and Granny Smith apples, this refreshing dip is fit for any summer gathering. Dip in your tortilla chips or serve it over tacos.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Look for fresh jumbo lump crabmeat for this absolutely decadent dip. The crab is mixed with extra-sharp Cheddar for boldness and cream cheese and Havarti for creaminess. We like to serve it with endive leaves for scooping, but a toasted baguette is delicious too.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Replicate the restaurant favorite at home with our recipe using white American cheese, chiles, onions, and seasonings. A mixture of water, milk, and cornstarch will bring it to the perfect consistency. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve alongside your guacamole and pico de gallo.
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke
If you love poppers, just wait until you try the dip form. We blend two types of peppers—pickled and fresh—with cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, bacon, and spices. Scoop up with tortilla chips to complete the effect.
Making this game-day favorite just got easier with a slow cooker. This big-batch recipe calls for an entire cup of hot sauce, along with a combination of cream cheese, Colby Jack, crumbled blue cheese, and sour cream. Serve with celery, carrots, and corn chips.
Iain Bagwel
Hot in more ways than one, pepper Jack cheese adds a surprising kick to this classic dip. The otherwise-straightforward recipe involves stirring ingredients together and popping your casserole in the oven to bake. Serve with crackers and fresh vegetables.
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke
This quick recipe only requires about 10 minutes of work. Use your Instant Pot to cook the chicken to tenderness in no time flat. After that, melt the cheese in the multi-cooker bowl, then stir everything together to finish under the broiler.
Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabor Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Smoked whitefish stars in this recipe, which is complemented by scallions, parsley, dill, and celery. Plus it gets the extra creaminess from mayo and cream cheese.