This Is the Ultimate Snack Situation for All You Dip-Lovers Out There

published Mar 22, 2022
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snack capsule arrangement of snacks and dishes
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: Randi Brookman Harris
Credit: Jason David Page

We are Big Snackers here at Kitchn. We love snacking, talking about snacking, and writing about snacking.

Of course, snacking looks different for everyone. So we asked four of our favorite food people to build their ultimate Kitchn Snack Capsule, featuring one recipe and some store-bought snacks.
Up next: Vianney Rodriguez from Sweet Life.

I love snacks. Or, rather, snacckkksss, as we call them in our casita. I love all snacks but I have an ultimate snack situation. One that’s sure to get you excited for movie night, cocktail hour with the girls, or, even better, a snack dinner. To tease it even more: My snack capsule is a great option for a busy weekday. My snack capsule is meant for sharing — placed on the center of the table with a few icy-cold beers. It covers all the bases: It’s got creamy, it’s got salty, it’s got crunchy … did I mention the icy-cold beers?

Okay, ready to learn more? Here goes!

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: Randi Brookman Harris

The star of my snack capsule is a copycat recipe for the famous Love Dip from Central Market, a Texas-based grocery store chain that’s owned by another local favorite with a loyal following, H-E-B Grocery Company. A creamy dip with a hint of spice and tanginess, Love Dip is made with cream cheese, salsa, dried tarragon, cilantro, and lemon juice. You can buy it, ready-made, at Central Market, of course, or you can use my recipe to make it yourself. It’s not hard.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: Randi Brookman Harris

I serve my Love Dip with another Texas favorite: H‑E‑B Round Corn Tortilla Chips. These hearty tortilla chips, made from 100 percent yellow corn, seem to go with everything (read: any and all dips) and they’re sturdy enough to scoop up plenty of my beloved thick-and-creamy Love Dip.

What else goes with my chips and dip? Plenty of sliced cucumber and jicama. Jicama is perfect for dipping, because it’s crunchy, starchy, and works well with the flavors of the Love Dip. And cucumbers add a bite of freshness to our snack sitch.

I also serve oven-baked Alexia Sweet Potato Fries with the mix. (My daughter suggested dipping these into the Love Dip, and y’all, this combination works!) Also, gotta have the Takis for heat and texture. We love them, so we always have them in our pantry.

Open up a few icy-cold Shiner beers and we are ready to snack. If you love a good dip (and I’m assuming you do!), my snack capsule really is for you.

What would go in your own Snack Capsule? Tell us in the comments below.