Chipotle Pecan Dip

I don't know that prior to this, I've ever changed a recipe's name due to the fact that I felt the original name either didn't accurately describe the dish or it was so vague that it did the dish a major disservice. I guess there is a first for everything.

This recipe comes from the September 2002 edition of Southern Living. It was originally named "Chile-Cheese Spread".  Reading through the recipe, I kind of wondered why they named it that, but after I made it and tasted it, I definitely knew (in my opinion, anyways) that it needed a new name.  Chile was too generic in my opinion, especially considering the only chile used in this recipe is the chipotle chile.  The name also ignored the pecans which play a pretty big role in the amazing dip! Thus, we now have "Chipotle Pecan Dip".

Anyways, enough about the name.  I made this dip for our tailgate this past week and things were kind of nuts trying to get everything made and packed up. So while I snapped a photo of the ingredients in the food processor (as you can see above), in the chaos I forgot to get one of the finished product. Oops.

This dip was a huge hit with everyone!  The smokiness of the chipotles marries perfectly with the cream & cheddar cheeses.  The green onion gives it a nice bit and the pecans add a wonderful, rich crunch.  The dip is spicy, but definitely not overpowering.

It's super simple to make - combine the majority of the ingredients in a food processor, add in the pecans and then voila! you're done!

Chipotle Pecan Dip

2 (8-ounce) packages light cream cheese, softened
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
3 green onions, finely chopped
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Assorted crackers
Garnishes: green onion curls, pecan halves

Combine cream cheese and next 9 ingredients in a food processor, and pulse 3 times, stopping to scrape down sides. Stir in toasted pecans, and chill 2 hours. Garnish, if desired. Serve with assorted crackers and vegetables.

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