Cream Cheese makes a fantastic base for a number of quick and easy (not to mention delicious) dips. For your basic recipe you will need cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice.

The base of these dips is made from taking 250g cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 1 tbsp lemon juice and mixing it together. After this you just need to decide what flavor of dip you feel like making.

To the base you will need to add:-

1 small mashed avocado

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 clove crushed garlic

Mix the ingredients together well and serve with corn chips

To the base you will need to add 1 small can of tuna (drained).

This is great with different flavored tunas as well – you can also use tinned salmon. Serve with crackers and cucumber sticks.

A classic – you will need to add:-

1 packet French onion soup mix

¼ cup milk

Mix the soup mix to the milk before adding to the base and mixing well. This goes really well with potato chips…..or raw vegetables

To the base you will need to add:-

Small can of diced beetroot

1 clove crushed garlic

Use a stick blender to mix the ingredients together, I personally like to leave a few chunks of beetroot in the dip for the rustic look and to add texture. Serve with pita chips

Dips are fantastic to whip up for when friends drop by unexpectantly or for parties.   I like to have the ingredients in my cupboard at all times for impromptu occassions.

Sometimes, however, you know in plenty of time that you'll need to have some dip made up - Halloween parties, Christmas parties, birthday parties etc.   If you're planning on celebrating one of these occassions on a regular basis then what about getting some seasonal dip bowls to serve your delicious cream cheese based dips in?