Hot and bubbly: Warm dips stick to the ribs

Most dips are fine for just any old party. But for a Super Bowl party in the dead of winter, I want something hearty and rib-sticking.

That's why I often turn to hot dips.

Hot dips make sense for a cold day. Also, heat brings out flavor and helps the flavors blend. Many combinations of ingredients simply taste better when they've been heated.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when making hot dips:

• Most don't require much, if any, cooking. Instead, they mostly are just heated to make the flavors blend.

• A moderate oven, about 350 degrees, is ideal for most hot dips. It provides even, gentle heat. But a stovetop also works for most recipes, and it is often faster.

• The microwave is an option, too, but most recipes don't use the microwave because the heat is uneven, and curdling or separation of ingredients can occur. If using a microwave, watch the dip carefully and heat it gradually, stopping often to check the dip and stir it so that it heats evenly.

• To help flavors blend, it's good to make the dip a little bit ahead of time. You can turn off the oven and leave the dip inside to keep it warm until serving time.

• To help keep dips warm on the table, serve them in the baking dish. This also makes for fewer dishes to wash. Ceramic casserole dishes are particularly good at holding in the heat. To keep the dip warm for long periods, consider a hot plate or mini slow cooker set on low heat, or a fondue pot on a stand with a Sterno burner or votive candle.

Popular dippers include tortilla chips, corn chips or scoops, pita wedges, crusty bread, breadsticks, crackers, pretzel sticks and crisps, and bagel chips. If choosing potato chips, choose thicker or ruffled chips that don't break as easily. Similarly, if using fresh vegetables, choose hard and sturdy ones, such as celery or carrot sticks.

Here's how to make a few easy dippers:

• Pita chips: Slice pita bread in half horizontally. Cut each half into 8 wedges. Brush or spray wedges with oil, season with salt and bake in a single layer for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until crisp. If desired, add other seasonings, such as garlic powder, herbs, Creole seasoning or Parmesan cheese.

• Crostini: Brush baguette slices with oil and bake in a single layer about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. If desired, use oil infused with garlic or sprinkle slices with herbs.

• Baked potato skins: Halve cooked potatoes, remove flesh, and cut each half shell into thirds. Spray with cooking oil spray and bake about 20 minutes at 400 degrees until crisp.

Hot Reuben Dip

4 cups (16 ounces) cheddar cheese, shredded

4 cups (16 ounces) Swiss cheese, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise

2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained well

½ cup Thousand Island dressing

1 pound corned beef, diced

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker, stirring occasionally, and cook on low for 2 hours, or until cheese is melted. Alternatively, combine in a medium saucepan and gradually heat, stirring often over medium-low heat until hot. The dip also can be baked in a 350 degree oven in a 2-quart or larger casserole dish for about 30 minutes.

2. Serve with rye bread, assorted crackers or potato skins for dipping.

Recipe from Dude Foods, courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Meaty Nacho Dip

8 ounces chorizo (any casing removed), bulk sausage or ground beef (See Note)

½ onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies (See Note)

1 to 2 seeded and minced jalapeños or 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

2 cups shredded cheese, either sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack or a combination

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces sour cream

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place meat and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring to break up clumps, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and jalapeños. Simmer until excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

2. Stir shredded cheese into meat mixture. Blend cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl, then stir into meat mixture. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: To make this vegetarian, substitute one 15-ounce can black or other beans, rinsed and drained, for the meat. Cook the onion alone, adding 2 teaspoons oil, before adding the beans along with the chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and jalapenos. Plain diced tomatoes can be used here. Also 1½ cups salsa can substitute for the tomatoes; if doing that, omit the chili powder, cumin and jalapeños, if desired.

Hot Carolina Dip

1 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons butter

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons milk

1 cup cooked, finely diced ham

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup sour cream

4 teaspoons minced onion

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, saute pecans in butter for a couple of minutes. Set aside.

2. Thoroughly combine all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a 1½-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the pecans. Bake about 20 minutes, or until hot. Serve with crackers.

Recipe from “Supper’s at Six and We’re Not Waiting!” by Evva Foltz Hanes, the founder of the Moravian Sugar Crisp Co.

Black Bean and Pepperoni Dip

You can skip the pepperoni and add 1 tablespoon oil for cooking the vegetables.

6 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni (or cooked bacon or summer sausage), roughly chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Sliced green onions, sliced olives and cilantro for garnish, optional

1. Saute pepperoni, onion, bell pepper and jalapeño in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, tomatoes and beans. Simmer about 10 minutes. Mash as many beans as desired to thicken the dip, or put in a food processor and process until as smooth as desired. If too thick, thin with a little water. Transfer to a bowl and serve, garnished with green onions, olives and cilantro, if desired.

Recipe adapted from “Dip It!” by Rick Rodgers (William Morrow, 2002)

Raspberry Salsa Dip

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut in thin slices

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 10.5-ounce jar fiery raspberry salsa (See Note)

1 8-ounce package grated Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Layer each ingredient in order listed above in a 1½- to 2-quart casserole dish. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: Delana Vickers bought raspberry salsa at The Golden Apple on Robinhood Road. Other salsa may be substituted.

Recipe from Delana Vickers

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

½ cup blue cheese or ranch dressing

½ cup mild hot sauce

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

½ cup Monterey Jack or mild cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pound cooked chicken, diced or shredded (about 2 cups)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve with celery sticks or tortilla chips.

Note: If using blue cheese dressing, you may want to reduce or eliminate the crumbled blue cheese, depending on how much blue-cheese flavor you want. Similarly, if you use the crumbled blue cheese, you may want to use ranch instead of blue-cheese dressing. If desired, you can even eliminate blue-cheese flavor by using ranch dressing, omitting the crumbled blue cheese and adding ½ cup more of Jack or other cheese. Many recipes call for canned chicken, but you can taste the difference and the cost saving is small or sometimes nonexistent.

Hot Artichoke, Spinach and Bacon Dip

6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (or a 9-ounce package of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped, about 1½ cups)

1 10-package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (about 1 cup)

¼ cup minced onion, optional

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon garlic salt or seasoning salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Hot Camembert Cheese with Cranberries and Pecans

Camembert often comes in a round wooden box. That box is necessary to this recipe to keep the cheese from oozing all over the place – unless you happen to have a round baking dish that just fits the round of camembert. This recipe is versatile. Use any brie that comes in a round box, substitute dried cherries or a favorite fruit preserve for the cranberries and nuts such as almonds or walnuts for the pecans.

1 8-ounce round camembert cheese, frozen for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days

1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

½ teaspoon hot sauce

Salt, optional

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Leave camembert in the wooden box in which it came. With a sharp knife, scrape the top rind off the camembert. Spread the brown sugar evenly over the top. Sprinkle with cranberries. In a small bowl, toss the pecans with hot sauce and salt, if needed. Sprinkle pecans over the camembert. Place cheese and the box on a baking sheet and bake 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Carefully remove cheese from box and transfer to a plate. You may need to wait a minute to let it cool enough to handle. Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from “Party Dips!” by Sally Sampson (Harvard Common Press, 2004)