The Best Smoked Tuna Dip (baked with cream cheese)
This truly is one of the best smoked tuna dips baked with cream cheese! It is smokey and cheesy with a gentle touch of sweet spice. You are in for a treat! Whoever knew tuna could taste so good, so savory.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ c sour cream
- ¼ c mayo
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. Liquid Smoke I used hickory
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper heaping teaspoon
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 5 oz cans tuna 4 oz drained
- ⅓ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup gouda cheese shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded (set ⅔ cup aside for topping)
- Lemon Juice from about ⅛ of a lemon
- Fresh or dried dill
- crackers/bread/tortilla chips for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet. (If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a frying pan to saute the vegetables in. Then a baking dish or pan of a similar size to bake the dip in; make sure to grease it.)
- Heat the skillet or frying pan to medium heat, add butter, when the butter sizzles with a sprinkle of water, then add celery and onion. Saute for about 2-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Take off the burner and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl add cream cheese (which should be at room temp), sour cream, mayo, sugar, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, and salt then mix with a handheld mixer. Mix on low to medium speed until combined and most or all lumps are gone, do not overwhip. Next, add ⅓ cup mozzarella, ⅓ cup gouda, ⅓ cup cheddar, sauteed veggies, and the drained tuna then stir with a spoon until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the cast iron skillet (or greased baking pan). Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the dip is bubbling. Then broil on low for 2-4 min until moderately browned on top. Let the dip rest for 5 to 10 min. Then add a sprinkling of lemon juice and dill on top.
Notes
This dip does have cayenne pepper but it comes through mildly. If you are sensitive to spice feel free to leave it out or reduce it.
For dipping, you can use tortilla chips, bread, and crackers.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in a covered container. You can reheat the dip in the oven or the microwave, and it is still so delicious!
Do not store your dip in the cast iron skillet. Putting a hot or warm dish in the cold fridge can ruin it. Also, storing food in a cast iron skillet can cause the seasoning in the pan to deteriorate.