Hi All
going to my MIL for a family bday dinner and asked what I could bring MIL suggested I bring dips.....however I would like to do something more interesting like a mixed antipasto plater or something but have a busy day tomorrow so not a lot of time to cook.

Any ideas would be great as I'm often asked to make something sweet.

thanks
Simonetta

Maybe try a mixed anti-pasto/ Turkish platter, with some warm Turkish bread, a couple of dips (hommous, cucumber dip, paprika relish), maybe some felafel balls as well (I think you can buy them ready made at Coles and then just fry them up).

Good luck!

Here's my "secret weapon"! It's really easy and everyone always ask me to bring it when we have family get-togethers.

Cobb Loaf Dip
250g grated tasty cheese
250g grated mozzarella cheese
6 bacon rashers, diced
6 spring onions, sliced
500g sour cream
salt & pepper
large cobb loaf
3 or 4 bread rolls

Cut top from cobb loaf and hollow it out. Dice up the removed top and hollowed out filling and the bread rolls. (These bits are what you use for dunking, but there is never enough bread without the extra rolls).

Combine all other ingredients (I buy pre-grated cheese). You can do all of it in advance up to this point.

Microwave filling mixture on high for 5 mins until cheese melts. Put cobb loaf on baking tray and fill with cheese mixture. Put diced up bread on tray around loaf. Cook in a moderate oven for 10-15 mins.

These are my four favourite dips, and all sooo yummy! People always love them. All three are quite different - one 'normal', one hot (but can be served cold), and two sweet.

Here they are:

Passionfruit Cream

1/3 cup caster sugar
½ cup cream
250g marscapone cream cheese
6 T passionfruit pulp

Beat cream and sugar until thick. Add marscapone and whip until smooth. Stir in passionfruit pulp. Spoon into a large glass serving dish. Chill before serving. Serve with fresh fruit.

Chocolate Dip

125gm cream cheese
1 Tab castor sugar
60gm chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup hazelnuts, coarsley chopped
1/2 cup whipped cream
1 Tab drinking chocolate

Mix ingredients together and serve with fruit (I always just do apple segments). This can be made ahead and frozen too. Just pull it out the morning of and let defrost in the fridge.

Cheese Dip

Sauté some garlic, chilli (both from a bottle) and 1 to 2 chopped shallots in some butter...about a dessert spoon of butter.
Cook until the shallot is a bit soft but is still green. Then, remove it all from the heat and stir in a container of sour cream, grated cheese (at least a cup.....you decide how much) and some salt (I find the salt brings out the flavour in the dip and gives it a bit of a bite - the salt is a personal taste). Stir it all over a low heat until the cheese is melted.

I serve it with homemade pita chips or corn chips.

Salmon Dip

1 pack philly cream cheese
1 210g (I think is the size) can red salmon with about half of the juice from the tin - I find homebrand is best
lemon juice
black pepper

Combine all ingredients until really well mixed (can use mixer). Serve with sticks of celery, carrot etc and/or corn chips.

Mexican Dip

And there is always the ever favourite mexican dip which is the layers of refried beans, sour cream, diced tomato, olives, salsa, spring onions etc. With corn chips of course!

My favourite homemade dip is THIS but I add horseradish cream - YUM!!!

For the quickest dip I make, I defrost and drain a box of spinach - the homebrand stuff is fine. Add it to 600ml of light sour cream and throw in half a small red onion (finely diced) as well. You can refrigerate this until needed, or just go ahead to the next step.

Cut the top off a Cobb Loaf and scoop out the bread then put the dip in there and put the top back on. Rip up the scooped out bread. Slice the crusts off a block loaf (Bakers Delight or something like that) and rip that up so you have enough bread. Go ahead and serve it.

Hi Tracey.

No, I don't bother cooking the bacon first. I tried it the first time I made it and it doesn't seem to make any difference, so I don't bother!!!