Mouthwatering Wednesday: Fresh, flavorful bloody mary dip

(Family Features)

It’s time to tailgate. Load up your favorite yard games, put on your team’s colors and pack the cooler with drinks and game day foods to get in the spirit.

For some, the real action takes place before kickoff, whether you’re in the parking lot or watching from the comfort of home with fellow diehard fans. To be the star of your next tailgate or homegate, make sure you’ve got fuel for the party with convenient dips that perform at an MVP level.

This Bloody Mary Dip combines a pair of game day favorites – the taste of a morning libation with a savory snack – to calm nerves before the players take the field. It’s made and served with Dandy Celery from Duda Farm Fresh Foods, which boasts a legacy of quality, innovation and consistency in celery cultivation since 1926. Its produce is crispier, sweeter and less stringy, redefining the veggie that’s a perfect teammate for tailgate dips.

Or you can stick with a classic in this Skinny 7-Layer Dip, which layers familiar flavors like garbanzo beans, avocado and shredded cheese but pairs them with nonfat Greek yogurt in place of full-fat sour cream to create a better-for-you game day bite.

For an especially nutritious snack, scoop it using Dandy Celery, which is available year-round, packed with flavor and low in calories, making it a smart choice for snacking and cooking meals throughout the game. Plus, it’s 95% water, high in fiber to leave fans feeling full and refreshed and packaged fresh and crisp with no preservatives.

To find more ways to tackle tailgating menus, visit dudafresh.com.

Bloody Mary Dip

Recipe courtesy of Laughing Spatula on behalf of Duda Farm Fresh Foods
Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons pimento olives, chopped
2 tablespoons onions, chopped
2 tablespoons bacon, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Dandy Celery, plus additional whole sticks for serving, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
olives, for garnish
tomatoes, for garnish
crackers, for serving

In large bowl, combine cream cheese, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, pimento olives, onions, bacon, 1/4 cup chopped celery, salt, pepper and garlic.
Mix well. Transfer to serving dish.
Garnish with skewered olives and tomatoes. Serve with celery and crackers to dip.

Skinny 7-Layer Dip

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons hot sauce
6-8 tablespoons water
2 ripe avocados
1 lime, juice only
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Dandy Celery, minced
1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup onion, minced
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt, plus additional for garnish, divided
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 packages Dandy Radish MiniSticks
2 cups low-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced black olives
10 cilantro leaves

In skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and garlic until softened and lightly browned.
Add garbanzo beans and hot sauce. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Scrape contents of pan into food processor, add 6 tablespoons water and process until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons water as necessary to get puree to spreadable consistency.
Transfer bean mixture to bowl to cool before assembling dip.
Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Scoop out flesh and cut into 1-inch chunks.
In food processor, process avocado chunks, lime juice and salt until mostly smooth. Set aside until ready to assemble.
In small bowl, mix celery, cilantro, onion and 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt.
To assemble: Using spoon or plastic bag with tip removed for piping, distribute garbanzo bean mixture evenly among 10 small containers.
Add layer of avocado puree in same manner.
Sprinkle layer of diced tomatoes over avocado puree in each container. Add layer of radish sticks.
Distribute Greek yogurt mixture evenly over cups.
Divide cheese over cups then layer black olives. Garnish with dollop of Greek yogurt and cilantro leaf.