Cottage-Cheese Holiday Dip
by
Michael Symon
A bold, savory, French-onion-adjacent dip made entirely from a fan’s chaotic fridge—creamy cottage cheese blended with roasted garlic, tahini, lemon, olive brine, and chili crunch. Served with crispy potatoes, fried mortadella chips, shaved carrots, olives, and toasted pita.
Prep Time:
15 Minutes
Cook Time
15 Minutes
Serves:
6-8 Servings
Level:
Beginner
For the Dip
1 container cottage cheese (approx. 16 oz; Symon used larger but this is normalized)
½ container Greek yogurt (about 1 cup)
2–3 tablespoons roasted garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1–2 tablespoons olive brine
1–2 teaspoons chili crunch
Salt & black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sliced scallions (for topping)
Dippers & Sides
Mortadella slices, cut into strips
2–3 potatoes, thinly sliced
Olive oil for frying
2 carrots, shaved thin
1 cup marinated olives
2 pitas, toasted directly over flame or in a pan
Ingredients
Make the Dip
Add cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, roasted garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice/zest, and olive brine to a blender.
Blend until smooth (add a splash of water if needed; Symon struggled, so don’t be a hero).
Stir in chili crunch.
Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a bowl and top with scallions and another drizzle of chili crunch oil.
Make the Mortadella Chips
Heat a skillet over medium-high.
Add mortadella strips and fry until crispy around the edges.
Drain on a paper towel.
Make the Potato Chips
Heat a shallow layer of oil in a pan.
Fry thin potato slices until golden and crisp.
Drain and salt immediately.
Prep the Sides
Shave carrots thinly with a knife or peeler.
Warm pita directly over a gas flame or in a dry pan until blistered.
Instructions
Arrange dip in center.
Surround with mortadella chips, potato chips, olives, shaved carrots, and warm pita.
Serve immediately.