Shrimp Scampi Dip

July 23, 2018 by Nicole Collins

When I dip, you dip, we dip.

Anybody remember that song by Freak Nasty? It was one of my middle school anthems.

“I put my hand upon your hip. When I dip, you dip, we dip. You put your hand upon my hip. When you dip, I dip, we dip.”

Oh the things rappers use to sing about in the late 90's. I bet that guy was a one hit wonder...

Anyway, I don't just walk around singing random songs from the 90's. Actually, yes I do. My head is like a jukebox box that's playing at least 4 decades worth of music at all times.

But regardless, I'm singing a dip song to you; because we're making dip today!

So, I haven't really told you guys much about my new job, probably other than I love it. But, just under 2 months ago, I started working for McCormick. I don't know what took me so long to start a career with a company in the food industry, but I couldn't be more suited for it. There are pictures of food all over the building. The company offers cooking classes. (I just took an INCREDIBLE 2 day grilling class 2 weeks ago.) I get to work with people who like to talk about food. It doesn't even feel like work to me.

Working for McCormick isn't going to change the way I cook, because I already use their products. But, get ready to hear me go on and on about how amazing their products are in the near future. I'm just really proud of where I work, and I really love our stuff!

One of my favorite perks, so far, is that we have an employee store. It's just a room attached to one of the manufacturing plants full of wall to wall spices and fan favorite products. I can (and have) spent my whole hour lunch break in there. And, then I walk out smelling like spices for the rest of the day.

My friend had been telling me about this Seafood Scampi sauce that she totally loves. So, the first time we went to the employee store, she showed me the bottle and dropped it right in my basket. She didn't ask, and I didn't object. Well, she did ask if I wanted 2 bottles!

Before I even tried it, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with that sauce. And, it wasn't “make a pasta dish.”

So today, we're making Shrimp Scampi Dip!

This dip is pretty quick and easy to throw together, and it doesn't take many ingredients to get to flavor overload status thanks to the Seafood Scampi sauce.

We start by roasting some shrimp in the oven that's been lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Once it's cool enough to handle, we chop it in to bite size pieces; and get ready to mix it in to our dip.

Our dip base is a simple mix of softened cream cheese, a little parsley, some grated parmesan cheese, and the Seafood Scampi sauce. The scampi sauce already has the classic flavors like garlic, lemon, and butter built in; so it's really a great shortcut. And, it can be found in your every day grocery store! It's not a McCormick employee store special. :-)

Once you blend the dip and fold in the roasted shrimp pieces, all that's left to do is grab some pita chips; and get to dipping!

When I dip, you dip, we dip.

This dip is intended to be served at room temperature. It's a really nice summer dip, and it doesn't feel heavy at all despite the luxurious flavors. But, it can also do double duty and be served as a warm dip. The warm dip would be perfect for holiday entertaining! The bonus recipe will be in the recipe notes.

Now, the seafood sauce is garlicky! So, make sure your loved ones are eating this dip with you so nobody is offended by the garlic breath!

It's a small price to pay, either way.

All right guys, I'm sure I'll have more work stories to tell soon. But for now, I'm going to figure out the best way to manage my earnings vs. my employee store spending.

So enjoy, and let's eat!

Shrimp Scampi Dip

Serves: 6-8 Print

Ingredients:

½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (thawed if frozen)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp McCormick Scampi Seafood Sauce
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp parsley, minced
1 tbsp grated parmesan
olive oil cooking spray
pita chips, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil, and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Arrange shrimp on prepared baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil cooking spray, and season with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper. Toss to distribute seasonings. Roast for 8-10 mins until shrimp are opaque and fully cooked through. Set aside. When cool enough to touch, dice shrimp in to small pieces.
In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, scampi sauce, heavy cream, parsley, and parmesan. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth and combined. Stir in chopped shrimp. Serve with pita chips.

Recipe notes:

*This dip is best served at room temperature. You can store leftovers in the fridge. To eat it later, pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften the dip back up.

*This is a fun summer dip, but it can easily transition to a warm holiday appetizer! Double the ingredients, place in an oven safe casserole dish, top with shredded parmesan, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mins. Serve with toasted baguette. MMMM!

*You can find the scampi seafood sauce in the grocery store, or here online. I love this stuff!