Homemade dips up the Super Bowl snacks game

The Super Bowl is one week away, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until the day of to buy a bag of chips and some dip from the grocery store — that’s rookie behavior. Everyone knows that the Super Bowl is just like any other holiday in that the food you serve during the event matters. So take the opportunity this year, especially if you never have before, to make your dips from scratch. Homemade dips taste better and are worth the (very minimal) effort required to make them.

To inspire you, I’ve created three brand-new dips but with a twist. Classic fried onion dip, whether made with a dry soup mix or fresh onions, is wonderful but have you ever added chili crisp to it? I did one hangry afternoon in a fit of inspiration and fell in love with it. The chili crisp’s tingling heat cuts through the rich dip perfectly and opens your sinuses enough to temporarily distract from the game.

I love good ol’ Buffalo chicken dip, but my actual favorite hot wing flavor is lemon pepper, so I made a chicken dip with that flavor profile this year. Lots of fresh lemon zest and juice and freshly ground black pepper are, obviously, essential to the mix, but so is some savory garlic powder and a pinch of chile flakes to help the citrus liven up the cream cheese-based dip. A crumbling of feta in and on top of the dip also helps bring a salty-creaminess that helps brighten this already zesty hot dip.

And finally, I took inspiration from my Southern upbringing and merged my family’s favorite pimento cheese into a trashy Velveeta-based queso dip. Roasted red peppers, kalamata olives and garlic add punch to the silky smooth, cheddar-based dip. I pour the dip into a slow cooker for extra class and to keep the dip warm all throughout the game.

To counter these dairy-heavy dips, though, try this vegan spinach artichoke dip that uses creamy Marcona almonds, blended to a paste, to add richness and a cheesy feel to the classic appetizer. Or make Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s smoky eggplant dip with ginger and tomato chutney — it’s like baba ghanouj but with a spike of heat from the ginger and sweet finish from chaat masala-spiced tomatoes.

Fried Onion-Chili Crisp Dip

This dip is a merger of my favorite fried onion dip with spicy Sichuan chili crisp. I add garlic, chiles and spices to the mix and then stir them together for a creamy dip with a wonderfully warm kick. The ground Sichuan peppercorns and MSG are optional, but if you have one or all of them, add them for a more aromatic dip.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes.

(Ben Mims/Los Angeles Times)

Lemon Pepper Chicken Dip

A spin on hot Buffalo chicken dip, this lemon-pepper variation adds fresh lemon zest, cracked black pepper and chile flakes to perk up the warm, cheesy dip. If you don’t have cooked chicken to use, buy a cooked rotisserie chicken from your grocery store and shred the breast meat to use here.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45 minutes.

(Ben Mims/Los Angeles Times)

Pimento Queso Dip

Velveeta cheese is used to keep the dip silky smooth, so don’t make the dip without it. Jarred chopped pimento peppers make this a breeze to put together, but if you’d prefer a more “homemade” approach, you can use charred roasted red bell peppers with their skins scraped off.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes.

(Ben Mims/Los Angeles Times)

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Artichokes and spinach mingle in a lemony blend of Marcona almonds in this vegan rendition of the classic dip. Marcona almonds from Spain contain more fat than their California cousins and have a deeper richness that bears a faint resemblance to cheese. When they’re blended until smooth, they take on a velvety texture ideal for cradling garlicky sautéed spinach and artichokes.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes.

(Dylan + Jeni / For The Times)

Smoky Eggplant Dip With Ginger And Tomato Chutney

In this smoky eggplant dip inspired by baba ghanouj, chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten grates raw ginger on top to add a fresh, surprising heat. Dollops of a spiced and tangy tomato chutney bring a subtly sweet richness, and coconut yogurt lends a cooling creaminess.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes.

(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)