Celebrate the Kentucky Derby in style with this incredible dip board featuring a variety of the most delicious southern-inspired dips and dippers. A crown-worthy spread your crowd will go crazy over during your derby watch party!
Break out your hats and place your bets because we’re off to the races! It’s time for the Kentucky Derby and what better way to spend time with your friends before and after the race than dipping into this festive board with five of the most delicious southern-inspired dips?
From a classic pimento cheese to a creative mint julep fruit salsa, the deliciousness and display is downright crown-worthy.
Such an easy way to serve a variety of snacks to a crowd as they cheer on their favorite horse. Each dip is so different yet so delicious.
The mint julep fruit salsa is refreshing and oh so flavorful. A hint of lime combined and a punch of bourbon with fresh chopped mint to bring it all together, it’s a great way to have your mint julep and eat it too!
The hot brown dip tastes just like the famous Kentucky hot brown open-faced sandwich with turkey, bacon, tomatoes and creamy dreamy cheese. One taste and there’s no turning back. It’s out of this world delicious.
I used store-bought pimento cheese and spinach dip, but you could certainly make your own.
And last, but certainly not least, is the bourbon pecan pie dip. It tastes just like pecan pie with a bourbon kick. Sweet, gooey, crunchy, amazingness. And it’s as easy as pie to make. Much easier actually! No crust required.
And to really bring out the Kentucky derby theme, I placed Chessmen shortbread cookies with horses on them in each dip’s serving bowl along with a number candle. Now these dips are really ready to win the race. So cute and festive!
I know your crowd with go crazy over this dip board at your Kentucky Derby watch party. From savory to sweet and back again, there’s something to excite and entice everyone.
Enjoy the race! And may the best horse win!
xoxo,
I built this Kentucky Derby Dip Board on our 24″ x 18″ walnut wood board.
PrintKentucky Derby Dip Board
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3 mins
- Total Time: 33 mins
- Yield: 10+
- Category: appetizer
Description
Celebrate the Kentucky Derby in style with this incredible dip board featuring a variety of the most delicious southern-inspired dips and dippers. A crown-worthy spread your crowd will go crazy over during your derby watch party!
Ingredients
Mint Julep Fruit Salsa:
- 1/2 cup diced pineapple
- 1/2 cup diced mango
- 1/2 cup diced granny smith apple
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Hot Brown Dip:
- 1 (8 ounce) container whipped plain cream cheese
- 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
- 1 cup chopped turkey breast
- 1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes with green chiles (I used Rotel)
- 1/4 cup cooked bacon bits
1 cup prepared pimento cheese
1 cup prepared spinach dip
Bourbon Pecan Pie Dip:
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
30 round tortilla chips
30 club crackers
30 petite toasts
30 round melba toasts
25 chessman shortbread cookies (reserve 5 with horses on them to garnish the dips, if desired)
2 cups sugar snap peas
2 cups carrot chips
1 large cucumber, sliced thin
10 large strawberries, halved
10 chocolate creme filled rolled wafer cookies
8 iced oatmeal cranberry dunkers
5 small stick candles (numbered 1-5), with the wicks cut off
Instructions
- Prepare each dip. The pimento cheese and spinach dip are bought store-bought, but you could certainly make your own.
- For the Mint Julep Fruit Salsa: place the diced fruits, lime juice and bourbon in a small mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Fold in the chopped fresh mint.
- For the Hot Brown Dip: stir the cream cheese, shredded cheese, chopped turkey, chopped tomatoes and bacon bits together in a medium microwave-safe bowl and then microwave for about 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until melted and creamy. Stir well.
- For the Bourbon Pecan Pie Dip: place the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, bourbon and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and stir until well combined and smooth. Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Place about 1 cup of each dip in individual serving bowls and line them up down the left side of a large rectangle board. Keep any remaining dip to the side to refill as necessary throughout the party.
- Line the round tortilla chips out from the mint julep fruit salsa serving bowl. Line the club crackers out from the hot brown dip serving bowl. Line the petite toasts out from the pimento cheese serving bowl. Line the round melba toasts out from the spinach dip serving bowl. Line 20 of the chessman shortbread cookies out from the bourbon pecan pie dip serving bowl.
- Place the snap peas between the tortilla chips and club crackers. Place the carrot chips between the club crackers and petite toasts. Place the cucumber slices between the petite toasts and round melba toasts. Place the strawberry halves between the round melba toasts and chessman cookies.
- Lay the chocolate creme filled rolled wafer cookies at the top of the board and the iced oatmeal cranberry dunkers at the bottom of the board.
- Stand a chessman cookie, with a horse on it, into the dip toward the front of each serving bowl. Stand the number candles up in the right side of each dip, numbering them from 1 at the bottom to 5 at the top.
- Encourage guests to dip and enjoy!
Do you drain the mango and pineapple?
Hi, Jess! If you use canned, then yes, you’ll need to drain them. Hope this helps!
Does the Bourbon Pecan Pie Dip need to be heated? Also if made ahead, do you refrigerate and how do you get it back to right consistency?
Hi Theresa! I serve mine room temperature. If you have to refrigerate, just give it time to come to room temp before serving.
OUTSTANDING!!
What size bowls did you use? Love this!
Hi Erin! Here are the square dip bowls I used. They are from Target: https://www.target.com/p/4oz-porcelain-square-dip-bowl-white-threshold-8482/-/A-13797667?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000014804906&CPNG=PLA_Dining%2BShopping_Brand%7CDining_Ecomm_Home&adgroup=SC_Dining&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9026924&targetid=pla-332582330769&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-LOEBhDCARIsABrC0TkZ-KGeTOsUnNcOx3uQ4H9YQczXZi7t-AU8WitMkTI95ba7CsZxaKUaAuETEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
The carrot chips… are those actual carrot slices or some other kind of carrot chip?
Hi Shannon! They’re carrot slices and you can find them already cut in some grocery store produce sections near the baby carrots. Enjoy!
Where do you get your giant board?
Hi Taryn! It’s from Sur La Table. Here’s the link: 18″ x 24″ Teakhaus Reversible Wood Board