Pepper Dip Man

Use a sweet yellow or orange pepper instead of a green pepper to change up the fun look of 'Pepper Dip Man'.

Recipe Ingredients:

3 small green peppers
1 small sweet red pepper
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup chunky salsa, drained
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish, drained
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
3 pitted ripe olives
9 fresh baby carrots, cut lengthwise into three pieces

Cooking Directions:

1. Cut each green pepper in half; remove seeds. Chop green pepper tops; set aside 2 tablespoons for dip. Cut top off red pepper and remove seeds. Cut out three mouths and chop 2 tablespoons red pepper; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, pickle relish and pepper sauce until blended. Stir in the celery, onion and reserved chopped peppers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Make cuts for mouths and eyes. Insert olives for eyes and reserved red pepper mouths. Place each pepper in a Ziploc Brand Twist 'n Loc® Container. Fill each with 1/3 cup dip. Insert reserved carrot sticks into dip for hair.

Makes 3 servings (1 cup dip).

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/3 of recipe): 138 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 27 mg cholesterol, 357 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Taste of Home through ECES, Inc., Electronic Color Editorial Services.