When Ina Garten owned the Barefoot Contessa specialty food store, there were a number of dishes she made that were in high demand, including an easy dip she said was “one of the most popular things” they sold. Find out how to make this quick crowd-pleasing dip.
Ina Garten’s store had some standout best sellers
Garten found that some of her simpler comfort foods were in high demand at her store, including her fabulous roast chicken. Her patrons also loved the unique ways Garten put her own spin on classics, like a shrimp salad that offered a more delicious twist.
When Garten demonstrated how to make the shrimp salad on her cooking show, she explained how much people loved it. “At Barefoot Contessa, we used to make hundreds of pounds of shrimp salad and we used to do it in big pots of boiling water,” she explained. “I never really thought it added any flavor to the shrimp.”
“And then one day, we started making chicken salad by roasting the chicken first instead of poaching it — and it was so delicious and I thought ‘Why not do that with the shrimp?,’” Garten continued.
Ina Garten shared the recipe for the store’s popular dip
Garten’s green herb dip was another popular homemade item the store sold. In a 2006 article she wrote for House Beautiful magazine, Garten shared some of her pro tips for entertaining guests.
One fan asked the Barefoot Contessa star for an easy appetizer recommendation and Garten had the perfect dip recipe. “It sometimes takes me more time to make the hors d’oevres than the dinner. Do you have any quick ones?,” they asked.
“I always make just one thing for hors d’oeuvres and it’s something very simple,” Garten explained. “Lately I’ve been making this green herb dip recipe (so easy) and serving it with fresh vegetables and yellow corn chips. This was one of the most popular things we ever made at Barefoot Contessa and my friends love it. I hope you will too!”
The dip is simple but loaded with flavor, as Garten combines cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blends the ingredients together.
You can find the full recipe on the Food Network website.
Ina Garten has more easy appetizer ideas that make entertaining effortless
Garten is all for store-bought shortcuts that make it easy when she’s entertaining guests.
When a fan asked Garten on her Barefoot Contessa website about her perspective on appetizers, the Food Network host had the perfect answer.
“I think it’s nice to serve a little something so people don’t get ‘toasted’ during the cocktail hour,” Garten answered. “But it doesn’t have to be anything complicated — I usually serve something simple like salted cashews, olives, or good potato chips.”
She offered more insight into her easy appetizer options when answering a fan’s question during a Food Network Thanksgiving special.
“Keep it really simple and spend your time making a good Thanksgiving dinner,” she said. “This is what I do — no-cook appetizers. What a great way to start a party.”
“I take three little bowls — I like silver bowls — and I fill them with store-bought snacks,” Garten noted. “Like roasted, salted cashews, really good ones, some salted potato chips — loved them as kids, they’re great with drinks.”
She puts “something vinegary, like a caper berry” in another bowl. “Three little tastes of things so people don’t fill up, they have something to eat with a glass of wine,” she explained.
“Three bowls, no cooking. It’s as easy as that,” Garten added.
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