Hot Collard Green Dip

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Soul Food

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 55

Servings: servings

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Southern style collards appetizer that's cheesy, savory, and smoky with a lil' kick of heat

Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

1 bunch collard greens about six cups
12 ounces bacon
½ onion
6 cloves garlic
8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or hot sauce
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
chopped parsley optional garnish

Instructions

Prep the Ingredients: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse, dry, and de-stem the collard greens, then chop them into roughly two-inch pieces. Cut the bacon into one-inch pieces, dice the onion, crush or mince the garlic, and cut cream cheese into chunks.
1 bunch collard greens, 12 ounces bacon, 6 cloves garlic, ½ onion, 8 ounces cream cheese
Build the Flavor: Add bacon to skillet over medium heat and cook until crispy (about 15 minutes). Remove bacon then add onion, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, sea salt, and black pepper to cook in the rendered fat.
½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, sea salt, black pepper
Wilt the Greens: Once onion is turning translucent and fragrant (about 4 minutes), add garlic and cook for one minute more then add greens to pan. Carefully turn the greens to coat them in the fat and spices and cook slightly wilted (about 2 minutes). Reduce heat to low.
Assemble the Dip: Stir in the cream cheese chunks and ½ of the mozzarella cheese until melted. Mix in the milk, worcestershire sauce, and bacon. Taste the mix and adjust seasoning as needed. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
3 cups mozzarella cheese, ½ cup milk, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Bake the Dip: Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly on top. Garnish with parsley and serve hot with dippers of your choice.
chopped parsley

Notes

Preparation

You can make this dish up to two days in advance, as long as you store it properly. However, it really tastes best on the same day you make it, so I don't recommend this. Instead, you can prep all the ingredients up to step five, then chill in the fridge until ready to bake.

Modifications

Use plant-based milk, cream cheese, and mozz products to make this dip non-dairy.

Feel free to add in chopped kale, spinach, or artichoke to mix up the textures and tastes in this dip.

This recipe also works with sliced smoked sausage or shredded smoked turkey instead of bacon. And you can use turkey bacon or beef bacon, if you prefer. Alternatively, you can leave the meat out altogether to make it vegetarian, though I recommend adding a half-teaspoon of liquid smoke to mimic the flavor profile.

If you don't want to handle the raw bacon, cook it whole, then crumble the crispy slices in a few layers of paper towels to get bacon bits.

If you make this recipe with smoked sausage, just swap it in for the bacon, but if you use smoked turkey or another cooked meat, you'll need to cook the aromatics down in cooking oil and add the protein in step four.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps for up to four days.

Nutrition