When surrounded by sweet or savory items, 9 times out of 10, I'll go with the savory option. If it were healthy (and socially acceptable) to eat dessert in place of meals, I would do it. I do it anyways, sometimes. I made this baked potato dip for all of my friends with savory taste buds, not expecting to like it. I mixed it up and dipped my finger in, figuring one bite would be enough to fulfill my quality control duty (always required as a food blogger, am I right?)...but then I found myself grabbing a potato chip to steal a second, and then a third, bite.

I caught my sister Julia, the infamous potato-hating sister, dipping chips into this. When I questioned her, she admitted that she was that desperate for a vehicle to transport the dip from dish to mouth! If that's not proof of a good dip, I don't know what is! Baked potatoes are a little heavy for the heat of July, but you can still get your fix with this dip...tasty enough to convert a sweets lover and a potato hater!

One Year Ago: Whole Chicken on the Grill

Loaded Baked Potato Dip
from Southern Living January 2011


Ingredients:
-1 (2.1 oz) package fully cooked bacon slices
-1 (16 oz) container sour cream
-2 cups (8 oz.) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
-1/3 cup sliced fresh chives or green onions
-2 tsp hot sauce
-potato chips or waffle fries, for dipping

Directions:
1. Cook bacon according to package instructions, until crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble once cooled.
2. In a medium sized bowl, stir together sour cream, cheese, chives/green onions, hot sauce, and bacon. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
3. Serve chilled with potato chips or waffle fries. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

This content was originally posted on Honest Cooking in my featured column "Cooking the Magazines".