American·Appetizer
Football-Shaped Loaded Potato Dip
A massive, crowd-pleasing party appetizer featuring three pounds of crispy bacon and sharp cheddar, molded into a football shape for the ultimate game-day presentation.
Prep
20m
Cook
20m
Total
40m
Serves
20
Method
- 01
Place the sliced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is optimally crisp. Drain through a strainer into a bowl (reserve the fat for other uses) and let cool to room temperature.
Watch · 0:26
- 02
In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 pounds of sour cream with the cayenne, black pepper, shredded cheddar cheese, and a generous amount of chopped green onions. Mix thoroughly until combined.
Watch · 1:43
- 03
Cover the dip base with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Chilling the mixture is essential to make it stiff enough to hold its shape during assembly.
Watch · 2:21
- 04
Finely chop the cooled, crispy bacon until it reaches a uniform, crumbled texture. Transfer the chilled dip onto a large serving platter and use a spatula to mold it into a high, rounded football shape.
Watch · 2:31
- 05
Press the chopped bacon all over the surface of the sour cream mound, covering it as completely as possible. Use the bacon to help refine and compress the final football shape, then clean any stray crumbles off the platter.
Watch · 3:14
- 06
Fill a piping bag with plain sour cream (do not use the dip mixture). Pipe two stripes on either end of the football and a set of laces across the center.
Watch · 3:40
- 07
Scatter additional chopped green onions around the base of the football to simulate grass. Serve immediately with thick, sturdy potato chips.
Watch · 4:05
From Chef John
“This is that kind of dip at a party that people camp out in front of.”
“No, I did not misspeak. We're going to slice up three pounds of bacon.”
“Give it the old chop-a-chop-a until we have something that kind of looks like this.”