One of my favorite things in the entire world is to scrounge up random ingredients, throw them together and make a delicious dip with them for everyone to enjoy. In my very apparent excitement for fall, below, I am going to give you my three favorite dips to make for the whole family to enjoy in the colder weather around the fire. I thoroughly hope that you enjoy making them and eating them as much as I do!

1. S’Mores Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 7-8 minutes

Total time: Roughly 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Box of graham crackers (preferably honey flavored)
• Bag of chocolate chips (Semi-sweet morsels, along with a few white chocolate chips and peanut butter flavored chips)
• Bag of marshmallows (preferably jumbo)

First, pre-heat the oven to 375°F, spray a smaller baking dish with a non-stick spray and toss in the chips. Use more chocolate chips than any other, but the white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips add a delicious spark of flavor. Then, cover all of the chips with tightly packed marshmallows, allowing no extra space. Ensure that the chips are entirely covered, or they could burn as opposed to stopping at the melting process. I recommend brushing the top of the marshmallows with melted butter to assist in the browning process of the marshmallows. Place the dish in the oven at for roughly 7-8 minutes, or until the marshmallows are browned and the chocolate is melted. Then, dip a graham cracker in this deliciousness to achieve a much cleaner version of everyone’s favorite fireside snack.

2. Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes (with pre-cooked chicken)

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: Roughly 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 (8 oz. package) cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup of Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce
• ¼ cup of Ranch dressing and ¼ cup of blue cheese dressing (this is my secret recipe – the combination of these two commonly used dressings is what makes all the difference)
• Desired amount of cheddar and mozzarella cheese

This is one of the easiest dips to make, and also one of the most delicious. Not only is a favorite anytime, but also it’s especially delicious during the fall when watching a football game with the family. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and combine all of the ingredients above in a baking dish and even out the top. Sprinkle desired amount of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for roughly 20 minutes, and enjoy with anything; preferably other pieces of chicken, vegetables or tortilla chips. Sprinkling the top with some blue cheese crumbles never hurt anyone either...

3. Pizza Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Total time: Roughly 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz. package) cream cheese, softened
• 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 cup of pizza sauce (or your favorite marinara/red sauce)
• 20ish pepperoni slices

This is perfect for game days, family-friendly weeknight dinners or a late night craving. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F, and spray a pie-dish with a non-stick spray. Evenly spread the cream cheese along with the bottom of the pie dish, and sprinkle a little of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses on top of the cream cheese. Add the pizza sauce on top of this, covering all of the cream cheese (you may spread it out using a knife if necessary). On top of this, spread out the rest of the cheese, and top with the pepperonis (try to cover up all of the cheese). Bake this for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. The pepperonis will begin to brown and curl up on the sides. Allow cooling for about 5 minutes before diving in. I recommend eating with bread, chips, vegetables or alone.

Thank you for reading about some of my favorite recipes and I hope you find them all to your liking! Happy cooking!