I needed dip for a party at the YMCA several years ago. I was running late and didn't have any dip made. That stuff really needs to chill a while too. Bummer.
I checked to see what I had on hand, since a trip to the grocery was going to really kink up the works. This was before we even had a grocery in town, so a trip for food was a long haul to "town."
There sat the Kraft Ranch dressing. Hum . . . That stuff is pretty tasty. I poured it in the Tupperware dip container. It looked a bit plain. I dug around some more and found the Baco's (real bacon bits). Those are yummy too. I poured some in and stirred. I gave that a look. Let's see. OK. Needs something. I sprinked a few bacon bits on top. There. That looked like dip. And, off we went to the party.
I was expecting someone to "out" me, but the dip was going, going, gone. A couple of the women asked for my recipe. I hated to 'fess up, but sometimes a girl needs something super fast and easy. So, I shared my secret.
Mostly I cook from scratch, but there are times when it's great to pour something out of a bottle and dress it up just a tad and call it good.
If you have a little more time (and don't get assigned to make dip), then Little Smokie Appetizers are simple and go over really well. I started out with the very basic combo that most folks know and love and then started added some of the favorite southern variations.