Cheesy Kale and Bacon Dip is a tasty mix of cheeses, kale, bacon, and a splash of wine for that little extra somethin' somthin' <wink>. This appetizer dip is delicious served hot or cold and goes great with vegetables, chips, crackers, you name it! It is a real winner with the added bonus of having good-for-you kale mixed in.

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Kale has been very trendy lately. I've seen it starring in many different types of recipes, which is a good thing, because kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium. Kale also has properties that boost DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells as well. It has been shown to lower cholesterol and decrease absorption of dietary fat too, so eat your kale. It's good for you!

If you think someone won't eat this dip because it has kale in it, no worries, just don't tell them! They'll never guess what those delicious greens are in this creamy dip. It's okay to be sneaky when you're trying to sneak healthy stuff into their diet, right? RIGHT!

I like to enjoy this dip with celery and carrots to keep it as low carb as possible, but chips, crackers, bread, or anything else you like to dip will taste great too!

I made this dip in a cast-iron skillet, so it is quick and easy. Any oven safe skillet around 10" will work, and it only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to have this ready to enjoy. Making dips in a skillet heats everything up as you add it and mix it in. It makes quick work of putting dips together, and you can make just about any dip in a skillet. When it's ready to go, I just toss some extra cheese on top and put it under the broiler until the cheese starts to brown. Then I serve it right in the skillet and watch it disappear! It's nice to only have the one pan to clean too! Just make sure everyone knows that the skillet is HOT! I wrap a kitchen towel around the handle in case anyone has the urge to touch it.

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Cheesy Kale and Bacon Dip

By Life Tastes Good
Published 05/21/2015

Ingredients

• 2-3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked
• 5 ounces of fresh kale, finely chopped
• 1 cup diced sweet onion
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (I recommend Gallo Family Vineyards Chardonnay)
• 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 ounces shredded Asiago cheese
• 4 ounces shredded Fontina cheese
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• dippers such as celery sticks, carrot sticks, crackers, tortilla chips, and bread

Instructions

1. Cooke the bacon to your desired crispness. To cook the bacon I double line a baking sheet with foil. I place a rack on top of the foil and lay the bacon pieces on the rack. You can also lay the bacon right on top of the foil. I place the baking sheet in a cold oven and turn it on to 400°F. Then I set the timer for 20 minutes and remove from the oven when it is nice and crispy. I like this method. It is easy to make and easy to clean up too!
2. When the bacon is done, set it aside until ready to use. Heat your cast-iron your cast-iron skillet (any oven safe skillet is fine) over mid-high heat and add 1 tablespoon on bacon drippings.
3. Add 1 cup diced onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and 5 ounces of chopped kale. Saute for a few minutes until the onion softens and the kale wilts.
4. Add 1/4 cup of dry white wine and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and add 8 ounces cream cheese and 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Stir to combine and melt the cheese.
5. Reduce the heat to low and shred the Asiago and Fontina cheese. I used my food processor to shred them easily and quickly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture and set aside. Add the remaining cheese to the skillet and stir to combine and melt the cheese.
6. Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
7. Turn the oven to broil. Top with the reserved cheese and place under the broiler until the cheese is browned to your liking. Be sure to watch it closely as it will burn quickly. This should only take about a minute or so. Remove from oven and top with chopped bacon. Serve with your favorite dippers and enjoy!

Yield: 8-10 Servings
Prep Time: 10 mins.

Cook time: 10 mins.
Total time: 20 mins.

Tags: Cheese, Kale, Bacon, Dip, Appetizer, Vegetables, Chips, Skillet, Low Carb, Recipe

adapted from myrecipes.com Warm Kale and Asiago Dip

For more delicious appetizer recipes, check out my Appetizer page