New Year’s Good Luck Dip with Collard Greens

Gluten-Free, New Year's, Party Food, Southern / Thursday, December 30th, 2010

New Year's Good Luck Dip

When I think of collard greens, I usually picture them simmering in a huge pot of salted water with some ham hocks. You know, the sort of thing your granny might tend for a few hours in her housedress before church and serve with Sunday lunch.

Those are Sunday greens.

You don’t want to make Sunday greens for New Year’s Day. You have better things to do, like making fun New Year’s resolutions (“Visit Graceland!” “Develop a flair for profanity!” “Take up topless square-dancing!”) and NOT wearing a housedress. Ever.

But you do need some greens. On New Year’s Day, greens in your belly means green in the bank.

That’s why I’m making a big bowl of New Year’s Good Luck Dip.

This is a warm, creamy dip, fully loaded with a pound of collards, plus onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Instead of hovering over your greens for hours, you combine them with these ingredients and wilt them over the stove for 10 minutes. Then stir in some low-fat cream cheese, cheese and light sour cream; add some crumbled bacon; and bake the mixture for 10 minutes.

Done and done.

Now, I know my mama is out there dialing the phone, ready to accuse me of “Rachael Ray-ing” these collards. Because collards are supposed to take hours. OK, after 20 minutes of cooking, no, these collards are not soft and mushy, like you’re probably used to. They’re still pretty firm and chewy, more like cooked kale. The recipe works, because you remove the stems (and thicker veins) and finely chop the greens before you add them to the pot.

I love this dip with vegetable strips, baby carrots and cucumber slices, but it would be just as good with chips or crackers. You could even make collard crostini by toasting some baguette slices and using the dip as a spread.

True confession: I heaped a big spoonful on my baked potato.

Someday, maybe I’ll slow-simmer a mess of greens. But today, I’ve got to find some square-dancing shoes.

New Year’s Good Luck Dip

Adapted from “Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book”

Makes 12 to 14 (1/4 cup) servings

  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 small sweet onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped (3/4 cup)
  • 1 lb. fresh collard greens, trimmed of stalks and veins and finely chopped (6 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), cubed and softened
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) low-fat Monterey Jack or Parmesan, shredded
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towel. Set aside.
  3. Discard all but 2 teaspoons of bacon drippings from skillet. Add onion and sweet pepper to skillet, and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add collard greens and garlic; cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Add cream cheese, cheese, sour cream, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) to the collard mixture, stirring until combined.
  6. Crumble bacon and add to collard mixture.
  7. Spread mixture in a 1-1/2-quart casserole dish or 9-inch pie plate. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Serve with vegetable strips, chips or crackers for dipping. Or, spread it on slices of a toasted baguette.

Gluten-Free Tip: Make sure to use GF light sour cream.

Nutritional Info (per 1/4 cup serving) – calories: 198.2, fat: 13.7g, carbs: 4.6g, fiber: 1.2g, protein: 13.7, PP+ = 5

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25 thoughts on “New Year’s Good Luck Dip with Collard Greens”

  3. WOW! You've out done yourself with this one. What an innovative way to serve collard greens! Now I'm plotting a trip to the grocery…

  7. Can't wait to see you all doing the polka on RFD-TV. Why couldn't you just use a can of Sensible Seasoned Glory Collard Greens? Hope Ezra has as wonderful 2011 as 2010.

    1. You could use canned greens, but you'd have clumps of them in the dip. You don't want clumpy dip, Mama.

      Hope you have an awesome 2011, too! No more exploding appliances!

      1. Got a new range didn't I? NOW for the frig! Saw a LG one that is perfect, but the folks I talk to are pretty negative about anything LG. drat

  9. Can I work on my flair for profanity (which I actually think might already be a strong talent) even if I don't eat the greens?

  10. I just got all the ingredients to make this for tomorrow and the Southern Fried Egg Rolls too. I hope my southern husband likes them!

  11. YOU ARE THE FUNNIEST DAMN BLOGGER I EVER READ! AND……. i LOVE your recipies. (Sorry for yelling) capsLOCK.

  15. Flair for profanity… check.
    This dip looks goooooooooooooooood. I'll take collards anyway I can get them.

  16. Hi Rebecca

    I was wondering sine you are using reduced-fat cream cheese and low-fat cheese and sour cream, do it have a funny aftertaste.

  17. You think spinach would be a decent substitute? And if so, fresh or frozen? I don't think I'll find collard greens in Hungary. :-)

  20. […] some onions, garlic and bacon, but then I remembered this recipe that I bookmarked yesterday!  The recipe from Ezra Pound Cake is exceptional.  I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, except I used regular cream […]

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