Cheese and Bacon Dip

Cheese and Bacon Dip 

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats 
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins

Servings: 10

This recipe makes around 4 1/2 - 5 cups of dip.

Ingredients

• 350 g / 12 oz  bacon , chopped
  
• 250 g / 8 oz  cream cheese , softened
  
• 1 cup sour cream (preferably full fate)
  
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or sub with onion powder)
  
• 1 cup shredded tasty or cheddar cheese (Note 1)
  
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (Note 1)
  
• 1 cup shallots / scallions , chopped (~4 - 5 stalks)
  
  

Bread bowl & topping (optional)

• 1 round cob bread (sourdough works best)
  
• 5 Jatz / Ritz or other plain savoury cracker , crushed (Note 2)
  
• Oil spray
  
  

To serve

• Crackers, chips, toasted bread
  
  

Instructions

• Cook bacon in a non stick skillet / fry pan over high heat until browned. Transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain.
  
• Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream and garlic powder together in a heat proof bowl.
  
• Stir through most of the bacon, all the cheese and most of the shallots. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. The dip may look like the oil from the cheese has separated. Just stir well and it will come (and stay) together.
  
• If serving as is, pour into a serving bowl, top with remaining bacon and shallots.
  
• Serve with crackers, chips and the bread you pulled out to create the bread bowl (I toast it).
  

Bread bowl

• If making this in a bread bowl. use a small knife to cut a circle on the top of the cob loaf then remove enough bread to make a bowl. Pour the dip into the bowl.
  
• Top with crushed crackers, spray with oil. Bake for 20 minutes at 180C/350F until top is golden.
  
• Top with remaining bacon and shallots. Serve warm. 
  

Recipe Notes:

1. I like to use 1 cup of cheese like tasty or cheddar for flavour and 1 cup of mozzarella for stretch! You can substitute with swiss, gruyere or any other melting cheese that has flavour and salt. You could also forgo the mozzarella and sub with another cheese.
2. I use ritz or other crackers to top the dip when baking to stop the surface from drying out and to add crunch. You can use any savoury cracker. You can also sub with panko breadcrumbs + grated parmesan (or just breadcrumbs + salt + drizzle of oil).
3. This dip is really best served warm so it's nice and creamy, or at least at room temperature. It becomes harder when cool. To make ahead, if not using a bread bowl, I mix it together but do not microwave. Then when ready to serve, microwave, give it a good mix then divide between bowls. If using the bread bowl, use a sourdough cob bread like I did. You can assemble the dip in the bread per the recipe, then to reheat quickly, microwave the cob bread then bake to make it crusty. If you don't have a microwave, you will need to wrap the bread in foil and bake for 20 minutes, then unwrap and bake for 20 min (to make the dip warm in the middle). If you don't have access to an oven for reheating, then bake the bread with the dip int it to make it crusty, let it cool then refrigerate. Then when ready to serve, microwave to reheat (if using sourdough, it stays pretty crusty even when reheated in the microwave).