45 Super Easy and Super Cheesy Spreads and Dips

September 19, 2019
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“Excerpted from The Vintage Church Cookbook. Copyright 2019 Parrish Ritchie. Reproduced by permission of The Countryman Press. All rights reserved.”
Easy cheese dips and elegant cheese spreads are ideal for entertaining during the holidays or any time of year.
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Blushing Cheese Dip

Photo: Erin Kunkel; Styling: Christine Wolheim
Blushing Cheese Dip Recipe

As you dip the roasted beets into this delicate fondue, it will gradually turn pink. The cheese stays molten and creamy for a long time--this recipe, adapted from executive chef Jason Berthold of San Francisco's Monsieur Benjamin, is a fondue breakthrough, as far as we're concerned! When the fondue cools, it has the texture of cream cheese; post-Valentine's Day, spread it on toast as a delicious snack.

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Goat Cheese Spread

Goat Cheese Spread Recipe
Layer pesto, sun-dried tomato, and a mixture of goat cheese and cream cheese for an impressive appetizer with Mediterranean flavors. Serve with French bread slices or crackers.

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Cheese Dip with Crawfish

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Cheese Dip with Crawfish Recipe
You'll have a hard time keeping guests away from this creamy, cheesy dip that's packed with tasty crawfish meat. If you can't find frozen crawfish tails, you can substitute chopped cooked shrimp.
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Bacon-Cheese Dip

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Scott Martin
Bacon-Cheese Dip Recipe
Crumbled bacon is the crowing glory of this creamy cheese dip that features cream cheese, blue cheese and sour cream. You're guaranteed not to have any leftovers when you bring this dip to a party.

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Modern Cheese Balls

Photo: Maura McEvoy
Modern Cheese Balls Recipe
These are not your mother's cheese balls. First, they're made with goat cheese and shaped into bite-size balls, making them super easy to serve and eat. Also, they're rolled in a variety of tasty toppings: wasabi-coated peas, crushed gingersnaps, granola, and a Parmesan-fennel seed mixture.

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Baked Pimiento Cheese

Baked Pimiento Cheese Recipe
Baking pimiento cheese takes this popular sandwich spread to a whole new dimension of gooey, cheesy goodness. It's so incredibly good that your guests may want to lick the serving dish when all the dip is gone.
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Layered Sun-dried-Tomato-and-Basil Spread

Layered Sun-dried-Tomato-and-Basil Spread Recipe
This festive recipe is filled with flavors featuring cream cheese, tomatoes, pine nuts, and basil. Make it now and enjoy or make it 3 days in advance to serve at your next holiday party.

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Pinecone Cheese Ball

Pinecone Cheese Ball Recipe
Deviled ham and softened cream cheese form the base and smoked almonds dot the surface of this edible holiday pine cone. Assembly takes just 10 minutes, but guests will think you spent hours. Make several in advance and chill until the next celebration.

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Smoky Green Chile-Cheddar Cheese with Avocado-Mango Salsa

Smoky Green Chile-Cheddar Cheese with Avocado-Mango Salsa Recipe
This smoky green chili cheese dip, made with smoked cheddar, Monterey Jack and cream cheese is always a big hit at parties. Its spicy flavors pair well with the exotic avocado mango salsa for a mouthwatering burst of Tex-Mex flavor. Better yet, it freezes well.
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Beer-Cheese Spread

William Dickey
Beer-Cheese Spread Recipe
This recipe makes a lot, but it can be frozen for up to a month. It fits perfectly into 4 (10-oz.) ramekins. Try it out at your next holiday party with multi-grain crackers or crispy potato chips.

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Cherry Chutney Cheese Torte

Howard L. Puckett
Cherry Chutney Cheese Torte Recipe
Holiday guests won't believe this beautiful cherry chutney cheesecake is light. If you don't have time to strain yogurt, buy Greek style yogurt (it's already strained) and proceed as instructed. To save time, make the cherry chutney up a few days before your party.

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Buttery Blue Cheese Spread with Walnuts

Buttery Blue Cheese Spread with Walnuts Recipe
Blue cheese and toasted walnuts are one of those amazing culinary matches, but here the richness goes one step further. There's a splash of sherry and a generous amount of softened butter in this cheese spread. Freeze it for up to a month in advance.
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Rosemary Cheese with Fig Preserves

Rosemary Cheese with Fig Preserves Recipe
Take the elegance level at holiday parties up a notch with this French inspired make-ahead cheese spread. A blend of goat cheese, cream cheese, rosemary, and honey, it's crowned with store bought fig jam. Serve it with fancy crackers or toasted baguette slices.

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Spicy Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pimiento Cheese

Photo: Beth Dreiling; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey
Spicy Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pimiento Cheese Recipe
Spicy homemade pimento cheese is a rare treat and a welcome addition at any holiday party. Make this spread up to four days in advance, and have fun serving it in unusual containers and with all kinds of funky crackers and breadsticks.

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Red Pepper-Cheese Dip

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro
Red Pepper-Cheese Dip Recipe
A mixture of fat-free yogurt and cream cheese help keep this roasted red pepper-garlic dip light; cumin and cayenne keep it spicy. Make some up ahead of time for parties and drop-in guests. Serve with roasted pita chips, garlic flatbread, or chips.
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Katie's Pimento Goat Cheese

Photo: © Earl Carter
Katie's Pimento Goat Cheese Recipe
This super-easy variation of the classic Southern sandwich spread features goat cheese instead of the traditional cheddar, plus minced onion and crushed whole pimientos and garlic for full-bodied flavor.

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Colby-Pepper Jack Cheese Dip

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Rose Nguyen
Colby-Pepper Jack Cheese Dip Recipe
Get a double punch of cheese flavor with cream cheese and colby-Jack and add some heat with chili powder, green chiles, and jalapeño peppers. With the addition of chicken, you can almost count this hearty dip as your main dish.

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Cream Cheese-Olive Spread

Photo: Beth Dreiling; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey
Cream Cheese-Olive Spread Recipe
This easy 4-ingredient cheese spread is perfect for last-minute entertaining. Serve with assorted crackers or baguette slices.
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Goat Cheese Mousse

Photo: David Tsay; Styling: Dani Fisher
Goat Cheese Mousse Recipe
Offer a savory goat cheese spread as a holiday appetizer and serve it with chutney or jam and crackers. It's great for parties since you can make it a day or two ahead.

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Sweet-'n'-Salty Honey Cheese Spread

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Jan Gautro
Sweet-'n'-Salty Honey Cheese Spread Recipe
Transform a simple log of goat cheese into an impressive party appetizer by rolling the log of cheese in sunflower seeds and drizzling with honey. Serve with fresh berries and crackers.

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Herbed Cheese Spread

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Herbed Cheese Spread Recipe
Fresh chives, parsley, and tarragon flavor this appetizer cheese spread that's made with feta and cream cheese. Garnish with a wreath of fresh rosemary springs and dots of dried cranberries for a festive, holiday look.
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Blue Cheese-Bacon Dip

Blue Cheese-Bacon Dip Recipe
This warm blue cheese dip is one of our top-rated appetizer recipes and ideal for entertaining. You can bake it in individual cups or a 1-quart dish and serve with fresh fruit, crackers or flatbread.

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Baked Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell
Baked Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip Recipe
Turn pimiento cheese sandwich spread into a hot and spicy appetizer by adding chopped jalapeño pepper to the cheese mixture and baking it in a casserole dish.

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Warm Cheese-and-Spicy Pecan Dip

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Warm Cheese-and-Spicy Pecan Dip Recipe

Crunchy spiced nuts take a classic cheese dip to new heights. Avoid overcooking the dip or it could separate; remove from the oven when it starts to bubble around the edges. We love this gooey dip with toasted baguette slices, but you can also serve it with your favorite crackers.

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Chicken Parmesan Dip

Meredith Food Studios
Chicken Parmesan Dip Recipe

This is a rich and creamy way to use up leftover marinara sauce or chicken. For an extra-Italian twist, use Italian sausage instead. 

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Prosciutto-Asiago Pimiento Cheese

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Prosciutto-Asiago Pimiento Cheese Recipe

This recipe gives some Italian flavor to Basic Pimiento Cheese. With crispy prosciutto and Asiago cheese, you’re definitely stepping up your dip game. Friends and family will think it is oh-so-fancy but you will know it was super simple. From backyard cookouts to a porch party, this recipe can work for any occasion. It also makes the perfect snack for those long summer days. Hand shred your cheese for a better texture and flavor. We also prefer diced pimientos over sliced.

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Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

Photo: Raymond Hom; Styling: Pamela Duncan Silver
Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip Recipe

A go-to appetizer for parties, this spinach and artichoke dip has all the creamy-inside, brown-and-crispy-on-top texture and cheesy taste that makes dips like this appealing, but with less calories and fat.

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Flaming Cheese (Saganaki)

Time Inc. Video Studio
Flaming Cheese (Saganaki) Recipe

This decadent cheesy appetizer is easy to make, fun to serve, and sure to impress. Enjoy this gooey, buttery melted cheese dish right from the skillet with plenty of toasted bread. Kasseri is a Greek cheese made from a blend of sheep and goat’s milk; good kasseri cheese can be found at Middle Eastern markets, or you can purchase a block online.  

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Pomegranate-Goat Cheese Dip

Photo: Jennifer Causey, Styling: Mindi Shapiro 
Pomegranate-Goat Cheese Dip Recipe

A burst of fruity flavor sets this dip apart from the crowd.

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Pecan Cheese Spread

Victor Protasio
Pecan Cheese Spread Recipe

This Pecan Cheese Spread will remain a staple in your refrigerator once you have a taste. Sweet, cheesy, and with a hint of heat, this spread hits every flavor just right, and chopped toasted pecans add a bit of crunch for texture variety. This seven-ingredient recipe only takes five minutes to whip together, but it will make a much bigger impact on a biscuit than plain cream cheese or butter. Start by beating cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, honey, cayenne pepper, and seasoned salt until smooth. The cayenne pepper brings that touch of spice that every Southern dish needs, but the sweet honey, soft mascarpone cheese, and fluffy cream cheese are the main focus. After mixing those ingredients, stir in white cheddar cheese and chopped toasted pecans to finish the spread off. Place it in a bowl or pretty butter dish and chill until you’re ready to serve. This Pecan Cheese Spread would be especially delicious on our Ham Biscuits, but we can’t think of many things that would taste worse with a swipe of this spread on top. This spread would look beautiful as part of a breakfast, brunch, or luncheon lineup with biscuits and breads, where any homemade touch makes an impact. Pecan Cheese Spread would also be a smart addition to any cheese plate at a cocktail party. A well-rounded cheese plate has several key factors, and a soft cheese is always on the list. Wow your guests with a soft, homemade spread that didn’t come straight from the store.

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Chipotle Pimiento Cheese

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Chipotle Pimiento Cheese Recipe

Give your classic pimiento cheese an extra kick with some chipotle chiles. Who says you can’t make a classic better? We started with our Basic Pimiento Cheese and made a few adjustments to give this spread the extra heat your friends and family will love. Lime juice, chipotle chiles and pepper Jack cheese combine perfectly for a personalized take on a Southern classic. Be sure you hand shred your cheese. The pre-grated stuff just doesn’t taste the same. It only takes 15 minutes to come together, and the extra effort is totally worth it. We prefer diced pimientos to sliced. So find an excuse for making a batch of this tasty Chipotle Pimiento Cheese.

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