Shrimp Dip

The Ingredients
8 ounces cottage cheese*
4 ounces cocktail sauce (Hoffman House* or Heinz)
4 ounces low-fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese (Philadelphia brand)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice*
3 green onions*, minced
2 four-ounce cans* of shrimp, drained and gently rinsed.

*I use 2%, small-curd cottage cheese. Lemon juice is nice but not essential. Instead of adding minced green onion, mom used cottage cheese with chives. If you don’t have or don’t like green onion, use a little onion powder. Hoffman House Shrimp and Seafood Sauce is the gold standard; if you can get it, use it. Any size shrimp—tiny, small, medium—is fine, as long as it is canned. Don’t get fancy with the shrimp.

The Method
With a mixer,* beat cottage cheese, cocktail sauce, cream cheese, and lemon juice until almost smooth. Add the green onion and beat until just combined.
Gently stir-in the shrimp.
Put in covered containers* and refrigerate for at least four hours; overnight is best. Serve with Ruffles potato chips or Fritos corn chips.

*My mother used a blender to make a smooth mixture. I’ve never owned a blender up to the task. Since shrimp dip is best served cold, I’ve learned it works best to use multiple, small containers.

The Story
For me, this dip is nostalgia on a chip. When entertaining, my mother served shrimp dip. This dip might have been fashionable in the 60s when the 60s still looked like the 50s.

My parents and maybe seven other couples in their Stoughton, Wisconsin, neighborhood, met once a month to play Rummy Royal, a card game. When it was their turn to host, there would be shrimp dip, 7-up and 50/50 soda in the refrigerator.

Cigarette smoking aside, there’s a lot to be said for the way my parents entertained. Guests arrived after dinner. They also came with their own roll of pennies to ante-up the Rummy Royal mat. The food and drinks offered were simple and predictable. You could throw a party for 18 without breaking the bank. And even though I was a delightful young person, the party was for adults. I took my shrimp dip, Fritos, and 7-up upstairs for the duration.

You do not need to be hosting party to make shrimp dip, however. Until the pandemic is safely behind us, I recommend making a batch and sharing dip and chips with neighbors. What a lovely New Year’s Eve offering, as we, in our own bubbles and pods, collectively kiss-off 2020 and pray for a healthy and happy 2021.

Sue
12/30/2020