Slam Dunk

Upgrade your party game with chef designed dips.

- AMELIA SCHWARTZ,VICTOR PROTASIO

WHEN THE HOLIDAY SEASON ROLLS AROUND, we think about the big things—the turkeys, the pot roasts, the pies—but there’s one part of the meal that’s often overlooked: the dips. Sure, you could open up a tub of store-bought hummus or sour cream and onion dip and call it a day, but you would be missing out on an opportunity to start your feast off with a bang. “Making your own dip can be so easy,” says chef Jeremy Salamon of Pitt’s in Brooklyn. “It’s such a fun way to serve an elevated version of foods we have fond memories of.” At Pitt’s, Salamon pays homage to his grandmother’s pimiento cheese sandwiches with a creamy, rich Gouda Pimiento Cheese Dip (recipe at right). At Hickory restaurant at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards in Bristol, Virginia, chef Travis Milton serves another grandma-inspired dip made from Spam (recipe p. 46), blending the salty tinned meat with cream cheese and serving it with pickles and saltines. “Dips have an emotional tether that brings us to a place of celebration and togetherness, which is something we all crave in this day and age,” says Milton.

Gouda Pimiento Cheese Dip

ACTIVE 15 MIN; TOTAL 45 MIN SERVES 8

This creamy cheese dip offers a fresh spin on a Southern classic. A traditional pimiento cheese base of rich mayonnaise and shredded sharp cheddar cheese gets a nutty, sweet boost from Roomano Gouda—an extra-aged Gouda from the Netherlands—while piquillo peppers bring a bright and smoky tang. Delicious after a brief chill, the dip gets even better if it’s made a day in advance.