Quick Crowd Pleaser: Pumpkin Butter Dip with Fritos Scoops

My wife, Janis, and I are visiting our daughter and her family in Phoenix for the holidays, and thanks to Elizabeth D'Cunha (pictured below), Culinary Scientist in Frito-Lay’s Research and Development organization, I have a special recipe for Pumpkin Butter Dip to share with them. 

What makes the dip so special?  Well, the dip ingredients include a couple of crowd pleasers -- bacon, cream cheese and, of course, Fritos Scoops -- and it’s incredibly quick and easy to prepare.  The one somewhat exotic ingredient in the dip is pumpkin butter, which you can find in the jam aisle of most supermarkets.

"The pumpkin butter tastes a bit like pumpkin pie filing, but not quite so sweet," Elizabeth told me. "I got the recipe from Jan Carter, the wife of one our food scientists, and I tried it out at a party.  There were only six adults at the party, but by the end of the evening, the dip was gone."

Elizabeth is part of a new breed of food scientists at Frito-Lay working on product innovation. She holds a PhD in food science and has trained as a culinary chef.  In September, I blogged about Frito-Lay's exciting new Culinary Innovation Center and the great work being done by culinary research professionals, like Elizabeth, to develop new snacks that combine traditional food science with the art of food preparation and presentation. 

In addition, Elizabeth has a one-year-old daughter who has given her a fresh perspective on cooking.  She’s always looked for recipes that use nutritious, great-tasting foods, but now she's added another requirement: Time-starved moms must be able to prepare the dish quickly!

So give Pumpkin Butter Dip a try, and let me know what you think. 

Pumpkin Butter Dip with Fritos Scoops

- 3 slices of bacon, cooked to be crisp, crumbled

- 1 green onion, only white part, thinly sliced

- ¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted

- ½ cup pumpkin butter

- 1 block cream cheese

- Fritos Scoops

Allow cream cheese to soften. Place cream cheese on serving dish. Coat with pumpkin butter. Sprinkle cream cheese and pumpkin block with onions, bacon and pecans.  Serve with Fritos Scoops.

Download Pumpkin Butter Dip with Fritos Scoops Recipe

Comments

[George masters]

My all time favorite snack taste is Fritos with peanut butter(Peter Pan Crunchy). Will you some day produce a snack similar to Lance's cheese cracker with peanut butter snack pack? I would buy it if you do.