This recipe is based on one of the snack ideas from the Healthy Snacks for Kids book I just finished. I tweaked it by adding more garlic, switching the oil to safflower, using sharp Cheddar cheese and adding a pinch of salt. I like it, but I think using medium Cheddar would work fine, too.
Tangy Cheese Dip
(based on recipe in Healthy Snacks for Kids)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 T. olive oil
1-3 T. milk
pinch of salt
Combine cheese, garlic, yogurt and oil in food processor or small food chopper. Process until quite smooth.
Keep thick for a spread, thin slightly with milk for a dip, or thin with more milk for a sauce. Once desired thickness is reached, salt to taste.
This is better after sitting a while. Missy likes to dip thick pretzels sticks in it for a snack. It also heats well, making me think of adding jalapenos or tomatoes with chilies next time for a nacho dip.
After letting this sit a day or so in the fridge, the flavors really developed. Either that, or we just grew some very hot garlic. Next time I'll cut back to the one clove the original recipe called for. Also, refrigerated, the texture is more like a spread, similar to that cheese spread that we used buy that came in little glass juice jars. I'm thinking it would be a good cheese for stuffing jalapenos, mushrooms or tomatoes. Or filling crab rangoons or ravioli. Or giving in half-pint jars as gifts. The possibilities are endless.
