Friday, June 1, 2012

Tried and True Recipe: Skinny Poolside Dip



(View my original DesignLifeandStyle post as well as other healthy recipes and much more, here!)

I think Pinterest is an amazing place to find recipes and ideas. However, I have had quite a few unsuccesful attempts at making a Pinterest recipe. I prefer to use recipes that get good reviews on websites or that have already been tried out by my friends or family. So I wanted to share a yummy snack recipe with you! Nic and I had this while watching the Bachelor a couple weeks ago and we LOVED IT! It uses lots of veggies and low fat ingredients so I did not feel too guilty snacking on it. I will for sure be making this in the summer when I am actually poolside! Try it out yourself!

Skinny Poolside Dip

1 red pepper, 2 jalapenos (unseeded), 1 can of corn, 1/2 can diced olives, 16 oz fat-free cream cheese (softened), and 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dip seasoning mix. Mix ingredients together. Serve with crackers or raw veggies.

Getting your beach bod ready for summer? Check out my Skinny Spinach Dip Recipe made with Greek Yogurt!  ...and don't forget to check out my more fashion oriented blog Design, Life, & Style!

131 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. If you take the seeds out of the jalepenos it is not very spicy. My husband and I like spicy food so I kept the seeds in intentionally! I hope you enjoyed it!

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    2. It’s not spicy at all without the seeds. The cream cheese and ranch tone any pepper down.

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    3. Or use tame jalapeƱos out of the jar!

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  2. Replies
    1. Yes! You want them to be small enough to incorporate well into the dip. I kept the seeds in when I made this for my husband because he loves spicy food but if you do not want the heat remove the seeds. Thanks for reading!

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    1. Ur an idiot .. Really drain the corn or not?

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    2. Dear Anonymous, Was it REALLY necessary for you to be so demeaning? Others had the vocabulary and positive self-esteem to respond gracefully! You're building some very negative Karma with the way you relate to others!

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    3. Yes! You can keep those comments to yourself! Didn't your mother ever teach you that, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything!"

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    4. Not a stupid question. I was looking for the answer myself.

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    5. There are plently of recipes where the corn juice ads flavor! Great question!

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    6. there are no stupid questions.....

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    7. To be so harsh and demeaning about a question shows your true character. I have been cooking for 25 years and I still ask questions that seem silly to others, however I have never had anyone comment so negatively. Please be kind

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    8. Yes. Drain the corn.

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  4. Lisa I have not made this but i would say drain it, because if you put all that liquid in it would be very watery.

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  5. Where did this recipe come from? I wanted to know Calorie/Fat info. It is VERY yummy! Drain corn or use frozen that has been thawed.

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    1. I use the Cookn' program to enter the recipe, and assuming there are 16 servings total. The calorie count is 37 per serving, while the salt content is high at 243 mg per serving.
      Using No-Salt corn, 4 oz of olives and Philly Fat Free cream cheese

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    2. What is the Cookn' Program? thanks

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  6. I would say this is very low fat, low cal, as the only thing with any fat is the olives.

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    1. The Fat in olives is a good Fat. Be CAREFUL running to buy the FAT-FREE cream cheese! FF cream cheese has almost double the sodium of Light or Regular cream cheese. High amounts of sodium found in Fat Free products is very common. My doctor told me NOT to buy Fat Free anything that isn't naturally Fat Free. The difference in taste/calories is made up in the Sodium and that's important to watch as much as Fat is.

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    2. I suggest using Neufchatel.

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    3. Agree on avoiding LOW fat or NON fat! Any diet I've been on says stay away from anything fat free. While the regular cream cheese has more calories/fat, indulging every so often is needed, at least for me. Or I will go on a binge! LOL Making this tomorrow for a tailgate, can't wait!

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  7. I'm on a low calorie diet and I can't eat corn or potato.

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    1. Do black beans instead....yummy

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    2. Yes, you can just replace the corn with beans or maybe even celery to avoid the empty calories of corn

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    3. Ooooh! Good suggestion on the beans!!

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  8. This dip is soo nummy! Had it last night at a girls night out gathering!

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  9. I got this recipe from a friend so I do not have all the specifics about calories/fat. I'm so sorry; I really wish I did! But I will say that for a nice and creamy dip this seems exceptionally low fat!

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  10. It is a pain, but if you add the individual ingredients' values together, that will give you a good idea and you can use fat free, etc. to help with it. :)

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  11. it would be super yummy to use mexicorn (drained of course) instead of adding jalepinos! I can't wait to try this thanks for sharing!

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    1. I'm making this this weekend and I love every idea. I could make a couple of them with different items in it! Thank you Lea
      Lea Burgess

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  12. I just FOUND this recipe on Pinterest. Too funny! Looks like a great recipe. I plan on printing it and making it! Thanks for sharing!!

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  13. Sounds wonderful. Thanks for posting. I did pin this to my Cooking Light board and I'm glad I was able to find it directly from your blog. I don't like to repin.

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  14. What would be a good substitute for the corn?

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  15. Chopped spinach would be better than corn.

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  16. Maybe sub black beans for the corn if you can't eat the corn. It would add a little more fat- BUT also protein and fiber, so I think it would be a good sub. Sounds delicious

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  17. Made this and it's very good! Thanks for sharing!

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  18. could you use 8 oz cream cheese and 8 oz greek yogurt?

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  19. It says 1/2 can sliced olives...what size is the can? Thanks.

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  20. 16 oz of fat-free cream cheese still has 450 calories, 36mg of cholesteral and 7 grms of fat as well as over 100% of your daily sodium intake plus the hidden valley ranch mix has even more sodium. I'm not sure this dip is that healthy

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    1. Are you going to eat the whole thing, which may easily serve 8 people, alone? Seriously? If you insist on doing so, though, then you should worry...

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    2. Anonymous,why are you such an asshole?

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  21. If you want to find out the Nutritional values, you can plug the recipe into a site such as CalorieCount.com or if you do Weight Watchers, you can plug it in there, as well...Looks delish!!

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  22. Looks good.... everything in moderation. Just don't eat the whole thing, eat a 1/4-1/2 cup for a few hundred calories w/ some celery. The wheat thins have more calories than the dip.

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    1. celery may not add calories but the sodium...watch out.

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    2. How much sodium could celery really have? Lol

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  23. Replies
    1. It is definitely enough to share. II would say it serves about 4-6 people for snacking but that is just my guess. Thanks for reading!

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  24. This dip was a HUGE success at my thirty-one party the other night. Everyone there took home the recipe. I like how easy it was to make and also the fact that it was not overly spicy (for those that have sensitive stomachs). I can't wait to make it again :)

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    1. Thanks for trying the recipe! I am so happy that it was a hit! Be sure to check out some of my other recipe posts
      xo, Lea

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    2. This is fabulous! I take it all the time to events and I always receive compliments!! Thanks for sharing!!

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  25. can it be made 24 hours ahead of time?

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  26. I dont like olives... could I skip them? or substitute for something else??

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  27. Would this dip be okay if made the night before a party?

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  28. I just tried this recipe, and thought it was good; however I only used 1 block of cream cheese. I don't think it needed the second block. The vegetables release water the longer this dip sits, so for those of you wondering if it could be made ahead of time, it can, but it will be a little runnier :)

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  29. According to MyFitnessPal the whole recipe has about 1,000 calories. I don't know how many servings there are supposed to be, but hopefully this helps some people!

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    1. That's ridiciouls! It would not have that many calories. Depending on what kind of cream cheese you buy. Some people just don't understand simple calculations

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  30. Ooh- alternate party appetizer idea! Spread the dip in whole wheat tortillas (or any tortillas, it's thin bread- let's be honest here!), roll up and cut into 1/2 inch roll-up bites. This I will try! Thanks for sharing!

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  31. I would substitute the cream cheese for greek yogurt, use spices maybe such as a little dill, take or leave the corn, use my beans, no canned veggies. Non seeded veggies come from Genetically modified seeds. Don't eat that crap! Buy locally and organic. Otherwise I like the recipe, will have to try.

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    1. By "unseeded" she meant to not take out the seeds in order to maintain the heat.

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    2. Non-seeded is not the same ad unseeded. Non-seeded means it never had seeds in the first place. Unseeded means just as you indicated - to remove the existing seeds.

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  32. Instead of olives, I normally make mine with sundried tomatoes. I also like adding onion, chives, and garlic.

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  33. Please give credit where credit is due. This is a recipe I have been making for years and it came from a Betty Crocker cookbook. I do not think the substitution of a jalapeno for canned green chiles makes this that much different. http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/corn-and-olive-spread/257fb8e5-002b-4ae5-bf26-926fc5c3870b

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    1. Theresa, Please know that I am not taking credit for this recipe at all. I simply found it on Pinterest and wanted to share it with my friends. Additionally, I would actually venture to say that the substitution of fresh jalapenos to canned chiles does make a significant difference. Thank you for stopping by.

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  34. could you make this WITHOUT the jalepenos?

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    1. Yes, I'm sure you could! I have never made it without the jalapeƱos but I'm sure it would be just as yummy. Maybe substitute a green bell pepper instead. Thanks for reading!

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  35. Lea, since you are too much of a lady to say anything, please allow me.
    Lea shared a recipe. It looks and sounds divine. It is shared with the best of intentions. If you don't like the recipe, keep it to yourself. Even well known chefs will tell you, this is a "basic/starting place", feel free to add or take away whatever ingredient you don't like and substitute another. Don't bash the person who was kind enough to share. THis is one of the worst bashings I've seen! Also, If you all know the site to go to to get the caloric info, then go to them. She isn't selling this as diet friendly for all the many diets there are in the world, nor is she trying to sell it as anything more than a comfort, delicious dip. Don't eat too much, use restraint, but don't blame her or just bash her. Grow up people! Use some common sense. I'm sorry Lea, if I was out of turn, but I have NEVER seen a bunch of grown woman act so immature. Continue on. THe dip looks divine and like something I would enjoy with my family and friends. I'll be sharing it at our next get together. Take care and keep on sharing. Delete the negative folks. You don't deserve that. Anita

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    1. Oh Anita you are just the sweetest. Thank you for speaking on my behalf. I agree completely. I hope you enjoy the dip when you make it. I actually have a new blog called designlifeandstyle.com that I updated regularly so make sure to stop by :). xo, Lea

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    2. I have to agree with Anita completely too - it is just incredible how rude people can be while commenting about a shared recipe! And, when someone clearly states (see the first of this posting) that she shared this recipe from Pinterest, why accuse her of taking credit for it? And, why ask her about substituting almost every ingredient in separate comments? Do you think that she has tested it with all of your substitution ideas? And,why say you are going to try the recipe, then list all the changes you are going to make? - by then, it won't even be the same recipe! She seems to be a very sweet, positive person just sharing something she enjoys. I'm trying this dip tonight exactly as written. : )

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    3. I agree FOR PETES SAKE LADIES !! Use some COMMON SENSE !!! Don't bash the "sharer" !!! COMMON SENSE !! Add or take away an ingredient you LIKE or DON't LIKE !!! Thank You Lea !! It was great of you to share !

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    4. Thank you Anita. I couldn't believe how rude some of these people are. No wonder some of our children have no manners, it looks like a lot of adults have none either. Thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to try it.

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    5. Thank you for saying that...I thought I was just tired and thought the people were being a little rude. Okay, ALOT rude.

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    6. Thank you Anita! You said it all so well! And thank you Lea!

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    7. Very well put, Anita. Thank you,

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    8. experience is the best teacher..it was a share, no matter where it started. use your brain for any subs...really.

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    9. Couldn't have said it better. Thank you for sharing Lea!

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  36. Can it be made ahead? I would need to make it on a Thursday night for Steeplechase the following Saturday. Do you think it would hold up for a few days before serving?

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    1. It can be made ahead of time but since the vegetables release some water while it sits it may become runny; which wouldn't be ideal. I wouldn't suggest making it more than one night ahead of time. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment! xo, Lea

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    2. If you are wanting to save time by making it ahead I wonder if you mixed the veggies separate from the cream cheese mixture and then on the day you want to serve it, drain the veggies and add them to the cream cheese. thank you for sharing this recipe.

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    3. Actually most dip recipes r meant to be made ahead so the flavors meld together. If the corn (or whatever substitute) and olives are drained completely and u don't use non or low fat cream cheese (do to high sodium and it seems to get watery) this dip is probably better 6-24 hrs later.

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  37. Made this recipe yesterday for our Easter get-together. Everyone LOVED it! Thanks :)

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    1. Thanks for trying it! I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! I try to only post crowd pleasing dishes :). Make sure to take a look at some of my other recipes. -Lea

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  38. I wasn't quite sure I would like this because of the corn in it because the corn just didn't sound right mixed in with cream cheese. Because I saw so many good reviews I decided to try it anyway. It is delicious! I just wish I saw the note above about not making it too far in advance. I just made it to take on a camping trip and we probably won't have it for about a day and half from now. I just hope it holds up until then.

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  39. This is fantastic!!!! We loved it, our friends loved it and even our kids! This will be made for our gatherings with family and friends and potlucks at work! Thanks Lea!

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  40. NOT VEGAN FRIENDLY

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  41. If you use fresh sweet corn, cut off the cobb it's makes it better than canned,
    been a family favorite for year's, you can add any thing to this you want as long as
    you like it. You are doing a good thing Lea.

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  42. I want to make this and I looked up what does a red pepper look like and I saw a few different ones. Is it the skinny one? Help!!!

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    1. i believe she means red bell pepper

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    2. Thank you for asking! I was afraid I'd be the only one who wasn't quite sure. I thought red bell but there are so many red ones!

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  43. Looking through Pinterest, I was saw your post. I have made this several times over the years. My children who did not like red peppers or olives liked this recipe. Also, I like to use Lays Touch of Lime tortilla chips to dip. This adds another layer of flavor. Thanks for bringing this recipe back to the surface in my kitchen!

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  44. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  45. oh no i forgot to get the ranch seasoning... can i just use some ranch dressing? any ideas?

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  46. Just made this without jalapeƱos (just had gallbladder surgery) EXCELLENT!!

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  47. I just happened across this recipe while cruising Pinterest, and it looked so bright and colorful that it immediately caught my eye. It sounds DELICIOUS, and I am definitely going to try it. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE IT, LEA!!!

    That being said, I also want to say that it annoys me to no end when people take an on-line recipe, make all kinds of changes to it, and then have the nerve to give a negative review to the recipe! Unless a person follows a recipe TO THE "T", they have no business rating it at all!!

    Another annoyance? Food Police, who think it's their right and duty to tell everyone else what they should and can eat. Really, people....if you see a recipe on-line and it doesn't please you, GO LOOK FOR ANOTHER RECIPE!! Sheesh...

    Thank you, again, Lea....I will be back after I have tried this (and I'm quite certain it's going to be delicious!). :)

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  48. Looks great wish we could get packet dressing in the UK as i see so many yummy recipies on pintrest!

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    1. Hi Jo! I hope you still get a "reply" to this - but you can make your own ranch packet at home - this site has ingredients for different spice mixes - and ranch is one of them! This way, you could make the recipes that call for a Hidden Valley Ranch packet! http://4kowboys.blogspot.com/2008/08/81208-seasoning-mixes.html

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  49. I've made this recipe twice in the past 4 days! It is sooo yummy! I did add some additional veggies (orange peppers, broccoli and red onions). Also I used about a 2tsp of HVR seasoning. I didn't want the ranch taste to outshine the veggies. So good with carrot chips or wheat thins.

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  50. Wow "Anonymous" What makes you feel your so superior to others that you feel it is ok to belittle others? The question about draining the corn wasn't a crazy question to ask. If you have made the dip, you would know it is a real thick rich dip, so really one could actually use some of the juice from the corn to loosen it up so that thinner chips could work for this as well. And Karma really IS a bitch.

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  51. Wow, I just found this site by following a recipe on Facebook. Thank heavens I read ALL the comments because there certainly are some butt heads on here. But there are more of the intelligent, kind and patient responders who out-shine the nuts. Can't wait to try the recipe and browse for others to try.

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  52. Thanks for the amazing Post Please continew

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  53. I added black beans and chopped green onions and sprinkled low-fat shredded cheddar cheese on top. Took it to tailgate party...it was yummy!

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  54. I can't wait to make this for a potluck I'm having tomorrow for it sounds super amazing. I'm maybe gonna add black beans and a lil shredded cheese. I will have to let ya know how it turns out. I'm sorry you got so many haters on here, you were nice enough to share this wonderful recipe. It gets me mad that people have to bash or hate. They must feel better about themselves when they do. Thanks again for sharing this recipe.

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  55. Thanks for the recipe whenever I go to a gathering & ask what would you like me to bring the answer is bring that super yummie dip please, was a big hit & an absolute keeper...

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  56. ok gals I just made this with nuefchatel cheese and entered the ingredients through Sparks. I also got the results if using fat free cream cheese. You don't want to know what regular cream cheese came out to. Not good for any ones diet. The results: My recipe made 4 cups. At 8- I/2 c. servings, one 1/2 c. serving = 183.9 cals, 13g fat,13g carbs,1.3g fiber,5.2g protein. If using fat free cheese the cals drop to 103.9, fat to 1g (Wow! Big diff) carbs and fiber the same and protein dropped to 9.2 g. Hope you don't mind I posted this Lea. Thanks for the recipe ! It was really good.

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  57. Would be really nice to see "Healthy" recipes that didn't call for extremely unhealthy ingredients. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packets? 1/2 teaspoon of that stuff has 240MG of sodium. With 16 servings per package, that's nearly 4,000 MG of sodium. The first ingredient is salt. The second is Monosodium Glutamate, a dangerous, lab-made, chemical form of sodium. Seriously. There are alternatives to these awful chemical additives. Even if they were higher in fat and calories they'd be much better for your health. Mixing in corn and peppers doesn't make it a healthy recipe. Sorry, I get excited to see recipes like this and then I read the ingredients and sigh.
    https://www.hiddenvalley.com/products/dips-and-dressing-mixes/dips/original-ranch/

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  58. This was delicious! Total hit at family party. Will definitely make again.

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  60. This sounds so good! I will be picking up the ingredients this week! :)

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  61. This is my 3rd year of making this dip for my family's 4th of July party. I was asked to triple the recipe this year!! They love it! I'm gonna try one batch with italian seasoning instead b/c I have a lot of family that doesn't like the ranch flavor, although most still wolfed it down! Thank you for post! Oh and I love the idea of adding black beans. I take out the black olives b/c I hate those, but I add chives (green onions) instead to give it more color and flavor. Stephanie

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  62. How much in a ranch packet? I just have a large container of ranch seasoning. Thank you :)

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  63. what's the sodium count in this, sounds high,,

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  64. I made this recipe yesterday afternoon and one day later -- I'm back on here copying and pasting the recipe to the family! It was a hit! I added 2 packs of cream cheese and one hot pepper -- used fresh corn -- well frozen fresh corn instead

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  65. I really liked it. I think the seeds need to be left in on the hot pepper or add hot sauce. I also think a shallot would be a nice addition.

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  66. I absolutely love this recipe! I tried it out over on my blog and my family LOVED it! I foresee making this sooo many more times! Thanks for sharing :)

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  67. LOVE THIS!!! SO SIMPLE TO MAKE!! i've made it many times for parties and gatherings and people always want the recipe! Great with pita chips as well!!!!

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  68. Sounds good. Does anyone know how to duplicate the Hidden Valley Ranch packet? I find these are very expensi8ve for the small amount of spices that are in them and one does not always have it when needed for unexpected company. I have many spices on hand.

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    1. http://4kowboys.blogspot.com/2008/08/81208-seasoning-mixes.html

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  69. I have made this dip 3 times now, twice with low fat cream cheese and once with fat free. Drained the corn and olives. And the dip has always come out extremely watery. So watery that you can't even dip a cracker in it without the dip literally dripping off. This is how it was immediately after making it, not after it was sitting. Maybe it would be thicker with full fat cream cheese but then that would defeat the purpose of being a low fat dip. Also - the ranch seasoning gives it absolutely no flavor, you can't taste it at all. My suggestion would be to use taco seasoning, 1 packet per block of cream cheese. I'm guessing the corn is what makes it so extremely watery so maybe substitute something else for it.

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    1. Lol, I think you're supposed to drain the corn before mixing it in ��

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  70. I have made this dip 3 times now, twice with low fat cream cheese and once with fat free. Drained the corn and olives. And the dip has always come out extremely watery. So watery that you can't even dip a cracker in it without the dip literally dripping off. This is how it was immediately after making it, not after it was sitting. Maybe it would be thicker with full fat cream cheese but then that would defeat the purpose of being a low fat dip. Also - the ranch seasoning gives it absolutely no flavor, you can't taste it at all. My suggestion would be to use taco seasoning, 1 packet per block of cream cheese. I'm guessing the corn is what makes it so extremely watery so maybe substitute something else for it.

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  71. My daughter makes this and it is delicious especially with the firecracker crackers

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