Gorton's Game Day Appetizer...Featuring Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Dip with Herbed Pita Chips

Football season started this weekend (GO TEXANS!!), and baseball playoff time for my beloved Houston Astros starts in a few short weeks. That means it's time for me to come up with some new gameday snacks to add to my appetizer roster  -- because all that cheering takes a lot of energy. Today, I'm featuring Gorton's Simply Bake Creamy Alfredo Shrimp in a warm, cheesy dip that everyone will LOVE! This delicious Gorton's item featured individually frozen shrimp coated in a rich Alfredo sauce. Because it's ready to use, Gorton's Simply Bake Cream Alfredo Shrimp saves me a ton of preparation time!

My Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Dip with Herbed Pita Chips tastes so decadently rich that no one will ever guess it's made with lower-fat ingredients and homemade baked pita chips. Another great feature of this dip is that can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated until just before you're ready to pop the serving dish in the oven to bake. I'm all for saving time, because it helps ensure I don't miss a single play because I'm in the kitchen!

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Dip 

with Herbed Pita Chips

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes approx. 2.5 cups of dip):

• One 8-ounce frozen Gorton's Simply Bake Creamy Alfredo Shrimp [NOTE: use ONE packet if you purchase Gorton's new multipack packaging]
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1tbs. + 1 tbs. granulated garlic
• 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbs. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Sea salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup 2% Italian cheese blend

For the pita chips:

• Four pita rounds cut into eight triangles
• Non-stick olive oil spray
• Herb seasoning of your choice -- mine has dill, parsley, chives, and cilantro
• Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over med-high heat. When melted, stir 1 tbs. of the granulated garlic into the butter. Add the chopped shallot and celery and cook until softened -- approximately 5 minutes. Remove the frozen Gorton's Simply Bake Creamy Alfredo Shrimp from its packaging and cut each shrimp into two pieces. Add to the pan and cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked -- the sauce coating will incorporate with the butter, shallot, and celery to create a creamy sauce.

Step 2: Reduce heat to medium and add the cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Stir every few minutes until the cream cheese is melted and the dip is uniformly smooth. Add the flat-leaf parsley and additional 1 tbs. of granulated garlic. Stir to evenly combine in the dip -- add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the dip into an oven-safe serving dish and evenly top with the shredded Italian cheese blend.

Step 3: Evenly space the pita triangles on a large rimmed baking sheet. Lightly spray the pita triangles with non-stick cooking spray, then sprinkle the herb blend and sea salt on top. Bake the dip until the cheese is melted and a bit browned -- the dip will be bubbling along the edges. The pita chips should turn just golden brown on the edges to ensure they are the perfect mixture of crispy and a bit soft.

Step 4: To serve, place a sprig of parsley in the center of the dip for decoration. The dip will be VERY hot, so let it rest for 5 minutes or so before eating -- that's just enough time to pour and/or refresh everyone's drinks! Add a spoon or two to the warm dip, and mound the baked pita chips on a platter surrounding the dip.

This dip is a sure touchdown...or a home run if you're watching baseball! A layer of gooey melted cheese tops a warm, garlic-infused creamy dip. There's also a generous amount of bite-size sweet shrimp. Everyone will enjoy the flavor of this dip...and I feel good knowing that it has less fat and calories! The pita chips are a perfect accompaniment to this dip -- they're sturdy enough to not get soggy or break as you enjoy the dip. 

I hope you'll give this hearty shrimp dip a try the next time you're homegating with family and friends! It's also a great recipe to have in your back pocket during the upcoming hectic holiday season -- it's perfect for last-minute party invitations and potlucks

Disclosure: Gorton's provided me with complimentary products to facilitate recipe development for this article. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

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