Hot Kale and Bacon Dip

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It's go time guys. The biggest game day of the season is coming up and there is Hot Kale and Bacon Dip that needs a spot on the table! This recipe is reminiscent of the cheesy artichoke dip, but the kale and the bacon give it a unique flavor!

An octagon skillet with hot kale and bacon dip with some tortilla chips on the side.


 

Why I Love This Recipe

I think we’ve all come to learn that the only reason I host game day parties is for the food! I mean, who actually has time to watch the game when there is all the amazing finger food sitting in the kitchen? Not this girl! I'm rolling out a ton of fun new recipes in the next few weeks and this Hot Kale and Bacon Dip is pretty damn epic!

A closeup of tortilla chips with salt sprinkled on top.

It’s basically so good that it shouldn’t be legal. And here’s a word to the wise… one must not be left alone with it for too long, otherwise I can pretty much guarantee you that you’ll finish it by yourself. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything ☺

So whip this Hot Kale and Bacon Dip up for the game this coming game day and let all your friends sing your praises. If you want to make this vegetarian, skip the bacon or check out the cheesy creamed kale.

A grey counter with some tortilla chips sprinkled with salt, and two glasses with a liquid in the bottom right.

On second thought, maybe make a double batch and keep a secret stash for yourself once the first batch is polished off.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mise-en-place of all the ingredients to make hot kale and bacon dip.
  • Olive Oil
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Kale cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
  • Milk
  • Cream Cheese
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Hot Sauce
  • Mozzarella
  • Bacon
  • Coarse Salt and Ground Pepper
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Freshly fried salty tortilla chips for serving

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.

How to Make Hot Kale and Bacon Dip

A large white dutch oven with oil and chopped onions being sautéed.

Step 1: In a large pan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and sauté until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

A large white dutch oven with sautéed onions and garlic.

Step 2: Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds and stir to combine.

A large white dutch oven with chopped kale being cooked.

Step 3: Add kale and cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes.

A colander with cooked, wilted chopped kale.

Step 4: Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.

A large white dutch oven with milk and cream cheese.

Step 5: In the same pan, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes.

A large white dutch oven with kale, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and the mozzarella added to a milk and cream cheese mixture.

Step 6: Add kale, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and the mozzarella; stir to combine.

A large white dutch oven with kale dip mixture, and cooked bacon bits just added.

Step 7: Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes.

A skillet with hot kale and bacon dip topped with parmesan cheese.

Step 8: Top with the parmesan cheese and bake at 425F for 10 minutes.

A skillet with hot kale and bacon dip topped with parmesan cheese melted in the oven.

Step 9: Serve with tortilla chips.

How to Store Hot Kale and Bacon Dip

You can easily store leftovers, refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. These are my favorite glass tupperware containers for storing this. To warm, you can stick it in the oven for a few minutes till its warmed through.

How to Freeze Hot Kale and Bacon Dip

You can freeze extra dip properly sealed in an airtight container in the freezer for about 2 months. Thaw it out before hand and warm in the oven when its time to eat.

Tips & Tricks

While I serve this hot, there's absolutely nothing wrong with eating the leftovers cold - if you have any!

FAQs

What should I pair this with?

One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is because of the homemade tortilla chips that go perfect with this dip. I always felt that the bread options most restaurants give you makes it really hard to scoop. Plus who wants to use a knife to spread a dip while watching you favorite team play?

I do not like kale, can I use spinach?

I say you give this a try regardless because its delicious, however, I do have a recipe of a classic spinach dip and an spinach bacon artichoke dip as well.

Similar Recipes

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today

Hot Kale and Bacon Dip

Author: Gaby Dalkin
5 from 2 votes
The biggest game day of the season is coming up and there is Hot Kale and Bacon Dip that needs a spot on the table!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Snack, Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 ½ pounds kale cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
  • cup milk
  • 6 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
  • 5 strips cooked bacon broken up into bite-sized pieces
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • Freshly fried salty tortilla chips for serving

Instructions
 

  • In a large pan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and sauté until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; add the garlic in the last 30 seconds and stir to combine.
  • Add kale and cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.
  • In the same pan, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add kale, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and the mozzarella; stir to combine. Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Top with the parmesan cheese and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

While I serve this hot, there's absolutely nothing wrong with eating the leftovers cold - if you have any!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 7138IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 306mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @WhatsGabyCookin or tag #whatsgabycooking!

40 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve previously made gaby’s artichoke dip, spinach dip, and loved them both, but this was the favorite we’ve made yet. I used 3 bunches of regular curly kale, and that seemed the right amount. I’ll probably try a little more milk next time, the kale and mozz tightened up on the final bake, which was wildly tasty, but a little tight to pick up with a tortilla chip. But that’s a very very small nitpick for a wildly tasty app.

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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