Checkered flag dip

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I'm not sure non-Hoosiers fully grasp how big a deal the Indianapolis 500 is to locals. I didn't fully understand until I moved to Indianapolis. Many families display checkered flags outside their homes and neighbors host porch parties. There are parades, concerts, and festivals in the weeks leading up to the race. It's truly a month-long celebration! And it all culminates with the largest single-day sporting event in the world, the Indy 500. Many fans are eager to head to the track this year after the 2020 race ran without fans due to COVID-19 concerns. 

As you can imagine, tailgating is a big part of race day, and I love making Indy 500-themed snacks. This year I'm really excited to debut my checkered flag dip. It looks tricky to make because of the checkerboard design, but it's actually quite simple! I started by making a whipped feta dip, which consists of feta, cream cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings. Feta and cream cheese are the primary ingredients in this recipe, so it's important to use good-quality products. I don't recommend using low-fat or fat-free feta cheese because it can be quite dry and the dip won't be as creamy. For cream cheese, Challenge Dairy is the only brand I use. It's made from the freshest milk and cream from happy cows at family-owned dairies. You can really taste the difference.

After making the dip, create a checkerboard pattern with a few pieces of paper cut into squares and black sesame seeds. Lightly lay the pieces of paper on the dip so it resembles a checkerboard and fill in the empty spaces with the black sesame seeds. When you finish, carefully lift up the pieces of paper. And that's it!

You can serve the checkered flag dip with pita chips, regular chips, or vegetables. I actually found really fun green, yellow, and red tortilla chips at Trader Joe's that I think resemble the IndyCar start, caution, and stop flags.

 

Checkered flag dip

Ingredients

• 10 ounces feta cheese
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 Tablespoons black sesame seeds

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients except the black sesame seeds in a food processor or with a mixer until smooth and airy. Taste and adjust pepper if necessary.
2. Transfer dip to platter or serving dish (preferably square, but it's okay to use round dish) and smooth the top in an even layer. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
3. Cut blank sheet of paper into 1-inch squares. Lay squares across dip in checkerboard pattern.
4. Fill in empty spaces with black sesame seeds. Carefully remove paper squares. Refrigerate until ready to serve.