Forget Sour Cream: Finish Chili With A Dollop Of This Trader Joe's Dip For 100% More Flavor

One could spend a lifetime topping chili with the standard sour cream alone and still enjoy, well, a lifetime of terrific chili. Sour cream is simply the chili classic for a couple of reasons: it adds a little bit of creaminess, and it cools the spicier varieties. But that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of other excellent chili companions of similarly appealing consistencies but totally different flavor profiles. Trader Joe's broadly titled garlic spread dip is a prime example.

Modeled after the deliciously light, airy Middle Eastern condiment, toum, TJ's take is also the emulsification of the titular garlic, canola oil, salt, and lemon juice. The primary difference is that toum sometimes drizzles water in with the oil, which does not appear to be the case with Trader Joe's garlic spread dip. Vis-à-vis the sour cream, Trader Joe's garlic spread dip also does not have its exact dairy-derived, velvety quality. The spread dip has a slicker finish due to its oil, instead, which will swirl quite smoothly into the regional chili of your choice. The spread dip is also, of course, garlic forward, so it adds a fragrant, pungent note which complements the bean and meat in just the flip of a lid. It also goes wonderfully with plenty of other common chili garnishes.

The very same ingredients that one might otherwise pair with a chili's sour cream will also be tasty with the garlic spread dip. If you're melting shredded cheddar cheese into a beef chili recipe, for example, that will also benefit from the dip's garlicky kick. Now, some cheddars do become a bit oily when heated, and the dip is plenty greasy in its own right, but a typical chili should be dense enough to handle them together. Even those who find raw garlic a little hot probably won't detect much prickliness in this pretty mild dip, also making it suitable alongside something like a three-bean vegetarian chili's chopped onions. Pairing the dip with some sliced avocado can even somewhat replicate the creamy texture of sour cream, should you miss it.

Trader Joe's garlic spread dip is also lovely with the traditional chili side that is cornbread. You can easily spread it together with, or use it as a substitute for, the usual butter. The garlic will give the bread's nutty essence more depth in either case. You can even consider swapping said cornbread with a Trader Joe's garlic spread dip-enhanced flatbread, which would also be great in this case.