Retro Ham & Cheese Dip

Dip For The Ultimate Chip

This Retro Ham and Cheese dip starts with sharp cheddar cheese spread whipped until light and fluffy with cream cheese or cottage cheese then deviled ham, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, and classic seasonings are mixed in before it’s finished with finely grated red onion and chives. Chill it overnight and serve with potato chips for the perfect game night dip.

I wanted to come up with a dip just for Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream potato chips because they have always been my cousin’s favorite. I am a big believer in having a specific dip for every chip or cracker because the pairing really matters.

This is only the most recent of several dip recipes that are made for a specific chip, and I will list those below.

• Triscuit Dip
• Pimiento Cheese Dip for Pork Rinds
• Doritos Dip
• Beer Cheese Dip
• Whipped Parmesan and Honey Pecan Dip

The Underwood Meats

I originally found this recipe tucked inside an old church cookbook and decided it deserved a little update. This version uses Underwood deviled ham, and the day I tested it I only had the corned beef on hand, which worked just fine and was just a bit saltier.

If you are not familiar with this product, it is a classic old canned good that I use in several recipes and you can find it at Menards or online. You can find all the recipes I use these products in on my site.

Looking For A Substitute?

If you prefer not to use the canned meat, you can absolutely substitute finely diced deli ham instead, although I do highly recommend the canned version for the full vintage vibe. The canned meat blends smoothly into the dip and gives it that classic flavor these old recipes are known for.

Just make sure the deli ham is diced very fine so the texture stays creamy and scoopable.

Too Salty?

This is definitely a higher sodium dip, so feel free to reduce some of the seasonings or use lower salt versions if you prefer. That said, this dip is meant to be a salty snack that pairs perfectly with a cold beer.

It is bold, savory, and very much in the spirit of classic game day snacking.

Let Her Sit

This dip gets better as it sits and the flavors really come together after some time in the fridge. Keep in mind that the onion flavor does get stronger the longer it rests, so this is definitely an onion forward dip.

If you want the onion to be a little less pungent, you can wait and fold it in a couple hours before serving instead of adding it right away.