This is the season of football parties, holiday gatherings and of course the ever-present need for after school snacks. Setting out a platter of pita, vegetables & hummus is a great standby – but on Minnesota Live this morning I wanted to share a twist on that idea. Enter: Creamy Feta Dip. It’s only a few ingredients, easy to blitz up in the food processor and it crushed hummus in a flavor competition (sorry hummus, I said what I said).

Some ingredient notes before I share the recipe:

• Use block feta, not pre-crumbled. The block feta will get creamier.
• Use sheep’s milk feta if you can find it – I love the saltiness and tang
• Sheep’s milk yogurt is also the best here – it’s ultra silky and creamy. I use this one from Bellwether Farms
• Don’t add salt to the dip until you’ve blended and tasted – you most likely won’t need any because feta is salty!
• Don’t be afraid to add a little more olive oil to the dip if it isn’t blending smooth. Different feta has different moisture content so you might need more. I love this one from ToxyFree in Stillwater (use code ELIZRIES and they’ll send you a free gift!)
• Feel free to get creative with the toppings. Today I used toasted pine nuts and chopped kalamata olives. A sprinkle of paprika, chopped parsley, even hot honey would all be delicious.

Creamy Feta Dip

Gather this:

• 8 ounces sheep’s milk feta cheese (in blocks)
• 3/4 cup plain, full fat yogurt (preferably sheep’s milk)
• zest of one small lemon
• juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Do this:

Add all ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth, adding more olive oil if needed. Pour onto a platter with toasted pita bread, cucumbers, radishes and carrots. Use the back of a spoon to make a well in the center of the dip and drizzle more olive oil on the dip. Top with any combination toasted pine nuts, olives and parsley. A drizzle of hot honey is also delicious!