Party Party Dip Recipe

It’s been in rotation at my parties for years. It’s colorful and delicious.

It’s one of the first items to be emptied from the dish and licked clean of any leftover droplets of cheese. It’s my Party Party Dip Recipe.

This tomato and cheese dip looks like any other cold tomato/cheese/pico de gallo type of dip you’ve seen, but tastes like an odd combination of pico de gallo and tangy herby Italian Salad Dressing.

This dip requires a minimum of 3 hours in the fridge for the cheese and dressing to marry and overnight is best. Prep time is 10 minutes and will serve 10 to 15 with chips and veggies.

What the Italian Dressing Packet Actually Does Here

Instead of using taco seasoning, this dip uses a packet of Italian Dressing mix. It adds a herby zing that surprises people.

It’s a fun twist on a recipe that is very similar to others you may already make.

Party Party Dip Ingredient Notes

• Roma Tomatoes – Roma Tomatoes are less watery and have more meat than other varieties, so they’re my preference for dips. If you don’t have Roma’s on hand, you can definitely use whatever else you have. I’ve made it with regular tomatoes before.

Green Onions

I’ve used green onions in the recipe. Raw white onions have a pretty harsh bite that intensifies the longer they’re allowed to sit, especially in a dish that’s served cold.

So, for a mild onion flavor, chop up about 3 green onions, using both the green and white parts. But, if you prefer a stronger onion flavor, you can use about 2 Tbsp chopped white onion.

The longer it sits in the fridge, the stronger the onion flavor will be.

Cilantro

The dip calls for 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro. If you’re not a cilantro fan, you can either leave it out altogether or add half that amount and add more to taste.

Important: Remove as many stems as possible. The larger, thicker stems become pretty bitter while marinating in the dressing by day 2.

The little, skinny stems on the leaves are ok to leave in.

Pickled Jalapeños

This recipe calls for pickled, not fresh, jalapeños. The acidity of the vinegar complements the flavor of the Italian dressing.

About 5-6 pickled jalapeño rings add a mild-to-medium heat. If you like it HOT, use 8-10 jalapeño rings.

Not a fan of spicy food? Substitute a tiny amount of finely diced green bell pepper to give the dip some color and crunch.

Shredded Colby-Jack Cheese

Colby-Jack cheese comes pre-shredded. Use it!

It’ll save you a few moments of work and cost less than buying a block of Colby-Jack cheese. You’ll need 16 ounces.

You may substitute Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or a Mexican Four Cheese blend. Pepper Jack will make the dip spicier along with the addition of the jalapenos.

Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

Good Seasons makes the best salad dressing mix and is responsible for the majority of this dip’s flavor. You can find Good Seasons dressing packets in the salad dressing aisle.

Follow the directions on the packet to make your dressing by shaking the dressing with the required amount of oil, water, vinegar, etc. together in the provided cruet or in a small jar. If you can’t find Good Seasons brand, Zesty Italian is a good second choice.

Avoid using pre-bottled Italian dressing for this recipe, as I’ve found they vary greatly in quality. Some are very good while others can be extremely salty.

However, the biggest problem with using a bottled Italian dressing for Party Party Dip is the texture will be very soggy since bottled dressing is much more watery than the homemade variety made from Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix.

How to Make Party Party Dip

• Cut tomatoes into 1/2” sections, wiping off any water that accumulates on the cutting board as you go to avoid releasing too much water from the Roma tomatoes which will alter their texture after sitting in the refrigerator overnight. Set aside.
• Thinly slice the green onions and set aside.
• Roughly chop cilantro, using only the tender stems and thin leaves of the plant. Set aside.
• Roughly chop the pickled jalapenos after draining them well. Set aside.

Add the shredded Colby-Jack, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and pickled jalapenos to a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the prepared Italian Dressing to the bowl and toss well until ingredients are evenly coated.

It’s important to toss the ingredients well so the shredded cheese incorporates well into the dip and softens a bit instead of just sitting at the bottom in a pile of shreds.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but longer is better. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts with this one, and it does take time for everything to come together.

As it sits, the cheese gets very tender and permeated with dressing, and it becomes part of the mix. And the tomatoes give up their juices, which combine with the dressing to give it that nice saucy quality.

The longer it sits the more everything comes together and starts to make sense. Instead of just an accumulation of disparate ingredients it becomes a harmonious whole.

It’s a dip and not a salad.

Why It Keeps Getting Better After Day One

This is a party dip I always like to make the night before. It’s even better the next day.

My husband eats leftover dip by the forkful out of the container. There is usually some left the next day for me.

It’s much better than it was the day it was made.

Things That Can Go Wrong

If you don’t give it adequate chilling time, at least 3 hours, it’s going to taste like a collection of ingredients. Give it the chance to become a dip.

And overnight is even better than 3 hours. Stir it up before serving as the dressing will collect at the bottom.

Serve chilled with tortilla chips.

Overly ripe tomatoes or ones cut into pieces that are too large can also lead to a layer of water at the bottom of the bowl as they break down and release their juices. Roma tomatoes, cut into medium-small pieces, work well in this recipe.

Make sure the tomatoes are well drained before adding to the bowl.

Shelf Life: This dip will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, however, the longer it sits, the more the tomatoes will break down and release their juices. Best enjoyed within 2 days.

That said, if there’s a crowd, I’ve never seen it last that long.

Four Ways We’ve Made This Even Better

Add Black Beans

A can of black beans, drained and rinsed, make for a perfect addition to the dip. It makes the dip more of a tex-mex dip and is much heftier as well.

This is a good option when making for a larger crowd.

Add Corn

This dip is perfect during corn season. Try adding a can of corn (drained), or thawed frozen corn, squeezing out as much liquid as you can, and patting the corn dry before adding to the bowl.

The corn adds a nice texture and sweetness to the dip. It’s basically like corn salsa.

Swap to Pepper Jack

Prefer something spicier? Swap out colby jack cheese for pepper jack cheese.

Feel free to add some chopped up jalapeno pepper as well.

Add Cream Cheese

Another option would be adding cream cheese. We’ve done this version as well.

For an extra creamy version of this dip, add 4 oz. of cream cheese to the recipe before chilling. It also helps the dip thicken a bit.

Storing Party Party Dip

Party Party Dip will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, actually is best on day 2, but by the 3rd day the veggies will be getting pretty soft and will likely have released some of their liquid. It’s perfectly good on the 3rd day, it’s just not as nice to serve as a dip.

If you find some of the dressing has separated, stir well before serving. Do not freeze Party Party Dip because neither cheese or fresh veggies do well in the freezer.

Serving Party Party Dip

This recipe for Party Party Dip is fantastic with tortilla chips. We like to use regular salted chips.

You could use lime flavored chips too since it would emphasize the brightness of the tomato. Go with thicker chips that can stand up to being dipped into this fabulous Party Party Dip.

The dip is pretty thick and substantial and thinner chips may crumble. We also serve it alongside baked fish or grilled chicken as a sort of fresh salsa/pico de gallo type of condiment.

It’s way better than plain pico de gallo. It’s a great thing to have on hand when you’re trying to come up with a super-easy weeknight chicken breast idea.

I suggest using a shallow, wide dip dish for Party Party Dip. It’s easier to get all the way to the bottom of the dip without a super-deep bowl.

If you’re serving Party Party Dip as a party appetizer, I would put out spoons because double dipping is frowned upon by some.

More Party Dips We Keep Coming Back To

• Pepperoni Pizza Dip