Dill Pickle Dip

Super Bowl Sunday- it is so interesting to me how what an event today has become. Even people who don't watch a minute of regular season NFL football come together and watch the Super Bowl. It really is America's sport and something that seems to bring everyone together- even it is just to see the commercials!

Two years ago we were fortunate to actually go to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, TX with my dad and brother. For the weeks and days leading up to the game it is a mix of nervousness, unbelief, excitement and anticipation. It was fun to see fellow fans dressed in green and gold all around town in the days before the game. On game day, we arrived early, parked several miles away from the stadium (to avoid the $100 parking fees!), ate a quiet lunch at Panera of all places and then joined the crowds entering the stadium. Aside from it taking 5 hours for my husband and I to actually get in to our seats (yes, 5 hours! We were part of the seating snafu that affected hundreds of fans) it was a very memorable day. It is an extraordinary feeling being at the Super Bowl when your team wins. A mixture of happiness and relief, definitely unlike attending any regular season game. I will always remember turning around to see my dad and brother's faces after the Packers won- pure joy!

Today, when the Packers aren't playing, the outcome is not important to me. We are having some friends over, playing commercial bingo, eating brats and having this dill pickle dip.  Dill pickle dip has been a tradition in my mom's family for at least all of my life (almost 30 years!) and probably longer. I have no idea who started it, but it has been at every Thanksgiving, Christmas and family gathering that I can remember. Aaron now likes it and has started requesting it for our own gatherings. It is typically served with potato chips, but it is also great with carrot and celery sticks. You don't have to be a dill pickle lover (Aaron isn't) to like this dip. The tangyness of the cream cheese mixed with dill, garlic, and Worcestershire just make it a flavorful addition to salty snacks and is somehow different from just biting into a whole dill pickle.

The ingredient list is small, and this is simple and quick to make. I have listed the ingredients and approximate amounts, but taste testing is required to get the flavor just right how you like it. Enjoy!

Dill Pickle Dip

1 block regular or light cream cheese, softened
6+ medium dill pickles, grated
1+ tbsp pickle juice from jar
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork. Taste with a potato chip and add more pickles, pickle juice, garlic and Worcestershire as desired (I ended up adding 2 more pickles, a little  more juice, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire and another sprinkle of garlic powder). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Serve with potato chips and veggies.