PARTNER POST: Get ready to feed a holiday crowd with appetizer recipes paired perfectly with food-friendly Cavit wines.
Creamy and loaded with bacon and smoked gouda, this warm dip is destined to be the star of your holiday party. Pair the appetizer with wine and you’re on the road to hosting success.
It’s beginning to look a lot like that time of the year when you are supposed to host fantastic holiday soirées, shop for creative and amazing gifts for all your family and friends and still be on top of mundane, non holiday related tasks, like… ugh, laundry!
Phew! Calm down. Take a deep breath!
So what if I told you I had a foolproof holiday appetizer that is made by combining everything in a bowl and then baking ’til gooey perfection? Oh, and that lots of bacon was involved?
If you answer “Hell Yes!” and felt all fuzzy and warm inside, you are one step closer into breezing through holiday madness like a queen/king!
If you are team bacon, like me, you will be happy to find out that this dip has a whole pound of it. Because, why not? It’s the holidays, after all. And we all know that the elves take care of the all the holiday calories! Right?
But the thing is, this dip will feed 8+ people, so the whole pound of bacon isn’t actually as insane as it sounds, I promise! Just don’t eat the whole thing by yourself and you will be just fine. If you do end up eating the whole thing by yourself, do not fret. I have a Detox Smoothie coming first thing after the holiday season!
But jokes aside, this dip is indeed really hard to resist. Not only is it creamy and gooey, but the smoked gouda paired with the bacon is one of those flavor combinations that you won’t be able to forget.
Once your bacon dip is out of the oven – all hot and perfectly bubbly – all you’ll need to do is pop open a good bottle of wine and get that party started!
And speaking of wine, my choice today is a rich and bold Cavit Red Blend from Trentino, Italy.
Italian wine has a special place in my heart, especially since I just recently spent a whole month over there and am always happy to invoke those sweet memories.
Cavit’s Red Blend incorporates the powerful structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, the softness of Merlot, the bold fresh fruit tones of Teroldego and a hint of spice from Syrah. It is perfectly balanced, full-bodied with a rich and smooth palate.
The result is a premium wine that doesn’t break the bank! And that pairs amazingly with our Hot Smoked Gouda Bacon Dip!
For another easy holiday appetizer, try these trout bites. Recipe here.
Print
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 + servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
Ingredients
- 2 8 ounces packages of cream cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 16 ounces smoked gouda (shredded, divided)
- 1 pound bacon (cooked and chopped (see notes), divided)
- 3 scallions (chopped, divided)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
- In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and microwave for 30 seconds or until softened and easy to stir. Then, add the mayo and sour cream and whisk until smooth. The mixture should be creamy but liquidy.
- Reserve 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese, ¼ cup of the chopped bacon and 2 tablespoons of the chopped scallions for later. Add the remaining cheese, bacon, scallions and black pepper to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.
- Transfer the dip to a oven proof dish, sprinkle with the reserved cheese and bacon and bake for 30 minutes OR until golden brown and bubbly.
- When out of the oven, sprinkle with the reserved scallions.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
– My favorite method of cooking a large quantity of bacon is by baking it at a 400F degree oven for 10 o 20 minutes or until crispy.
– For a spicy version of this dip, you could add a teaspoon of chili powder OR ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper OR a few dashes of Tabasco sauce.
– This dip is also great served inside a hollowed crusty bread!
