Happy Friday!  Happy Super Bowl Weekend!  Happy birthday to my wonderful hand model / reflector board holder / taste-tester / incredibly patient boyfriend!
Such skill.  Look at the finesse with which James shows off this Slow Cooker Sweet Heat Kielbasa Dip.  Truly a thing of beauty.
I'm not sure if I'm talking about his hand or the dip. Â Both? Â Probably both.
Anyway, since James' birthday falls on Super Bowl weekend, we're going all out-- and by "all out," I mean we're not binge-watching HBO series and doing blog work like we usually do on the weekends.  I may even decide to leave my computer at home and not cook so that I have more time for celebrating (shocking, I know)!
Okay, I'm lying.  I have to cook; The Super Bowl is on Sunday.  It's practically blasphemous not to.  But I'm telling you, I'm just throwing stuff in my slow cooker and calling it a day!
If it was possible to have an inanimate object as a soul mate, and if I believed in soul mates, and if James didn't exist, then my slow cooker would be mine.  Instead of slaving away over a hot stove (that's a thing that people say, right?),  I just chop, measure, mix, set it, and forget it-- until it's time to eat, that is.  It's gloooorious.
Buy Now: Cuisinart 4 Quart Cook Central Slow Cooker
This dip is a prime example of just how awesome simple slow-cooked recipes can be.  Jalapenos, hot sauce, apricot preserves, lots of cheese, and kielbasa come together with practically no effort at all to make a sweet and spicy starter that's even easier to dig into.  It's simple to make ahead of time and then just keep on the "warm setting" until you're ready to serve, which is my favorite way to prepare for parties.
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Slow Cooker Sweet Heat Kielbasa Dip
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs kielbasa, diced small
- 2 8oz packages cream cheese
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- â…“ cup mayonnaise
- â…“ cup apricot preserves
- 4-5 jalapenos, diced, seeds and stems removed
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Bread, chips, or pretzels, to serve
Instructions
- Combine kielbasa, cheeses, mayonnaise, preserves, jalapenos, and hot sauce in a slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low until cheese is entirely melted, stirring occasionally, about 4-5 hours.
- Taste and add salt and additional hot sauce as desired. Stir well. Switch to "warm" setting until ready to serve.
- Serve with french bread, chips, or pretzels.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
Trish @ Well Worn Fork says
OMG - the apricot preserves sound amazing! This is my kind of dip 🙂
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
This is such a delicious looking dip and apricot preserve in a dip?!! Now that's unique and yes your bf makes for an amazing hand model!! Ohh and a very happy birthday to him!!
Jennifer says
I personally don't like hands in food photos. I'd rather see the food.
Morgan says
Eh to each their own =) I always try to include pictures without the hands as well but hands are good for pictures involving pouring or dipping!
Doug says
Jennifer I bet you are fun at parties
Katie says
Looks delicious! What kind of hot sauce would you recommend using for this recipe?
Morgan says
I've used a few different kinds, including Frank's, Texas Pete's, and Louisiana Hot Sauce, and all of them worked well =)
Angela says
Do u precook the kielbasa at all?
Helen says
I used some sugar, water and diced up dry apricot in place of the preserves because it's what I had on hand, and used turkey keilbasa. It tastes amazing even though it's still cooking.
Jon says
If I wanted to double the recipe, would you keep the cooking time the same? Or I guess, is there an issue with cooking too long in the slowcooker?
Thanks again,
Jon