Are you looking for a creamy appetizer to serve at a Super Bowl party?  This simple clam dip takes 5 minutes to make and will warm everyone up. The original recipe from The Ultimate Cookbook calls for mayo but I substitute sour cream to eliminate the eggs in the dip. It works well using 4 tablespoons of sour cream or 2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 tablespoons of mayo.

The cream cheese needs to be soft before you mix all the ingredients together. Either leave the cream cheese on your counter to reach room temperature or place the block in the oven while it is preheating. Lightly oil or butter the dish first to ensure the cream cheese does not stick to the sides.

To change things up I added smoked clams packed in olive oil to the dip this week. The smoky flavor does not work well so use plain minced clams. Make sure you drain the water or oil before adding the clams; it will be too oily if you do not.

Directions

1) Lightly butter or oil an 8″ pie plate or swallow ramekin. Mix first four ingredients and then add clams. Spread in the plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly on the edges. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve with assorted crackers, pita bread or vegetables.