The Chew: Loaded Ranch Potato Dip Recipe & Spicy Ranch Cheese Straws

The Chew: Hidden Valley Ranch Recipes

The Chew crew teamed with Hidden Valley Ranch once again to share some quick and simple snacks you can serve at the holidays, during their Jingle Bell Bites episode. Try Loaded Ranch Potato Dip or Spicy Ranch Cheese Straws. Also try Clinton Kelly’s Cranberry Claus Punch.

Clinton’s last-minute party tips included serving crudite vegetables in random decorative glassware if you don’t have a platter handy. His advice was to keep your cool and have a great time if you are hosting guests or having a party, even if there are last-minute surprises.

The Chew: Loaded Ranch Potato Dip Recipe Ingredients

If you want to go wild with this recipe, save the potato skin, fill it with the dip, and pop it in the oven to make a decadent twice-baked potato.

• 1 washed Russet Potato
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dip Mix
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 pint Sour Cream
• 1/2 lb cooked, crumbled Bacon
• 2 tbsp chopped Chives
• Salt & Pepper

The Chew: Loaded Ranch Potato Dip Recipe Directions

1. Prick the potato and microwave it about seven minutes, or until soft and cooked.
2. Let potato cool before cutting it in half. Scoop out the insides and throw out the skin.
3. Mash the potato until it is smooth. Work in sour cream and ranch dip mix.
4. Add bacon with chives and cheddar cheese. Stir to mix everything well; salt and pepper.
5. Serve this dip with potato chips, crudite, or your own favorite dippers.

The Chew: Spicy Ranch Cheese Straws Recipe Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 sheet thawed Frozen Puff Pastry
• 1 tbsp Water
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dip Mix
• 1 Egg
• Salt & Pepper

The Chew: Spicy Ranch Cheese Straws Recipe Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 425 F, with racks in the upper and lower positions.
2. Prepare two baking sheets using parchment paper.
3. Mix cheese with ranch dip, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
4. Whisk the egg in water to create an egg wash.
5. Lay a sheet of pastry dough vertically in front of you on a flour-dusted prep surface.
6. Cut it in half across the middle. Brush each rectangle with the egg wash.
7. Spread cheese in an even layer on the pastries, and gently press down so it sticks to the dough.
8. Flip one of the rectangles so the cheese is facing down. Brush the bare side with egg wash.
9. Place the second rectangle on top. The cheesy sides should both be facing out.
10. Cut the dough into 1/2” strips, going along its length.
11. Twist the strips and pinch them tightly at the ends to hold their shape.
12. Arrange them on the baking sheets, spacing them about 1” apart.
13. Bake until puffy and golden, about 10 minutes.