Loaded Hummus

Layered with store-bought hummus, a mediterranean-spiced ground chicken mixture, feta and mint then topped with hot honey, this Loaded Hummus is the new way to crudités.

I entertain a fair amount. And when I say a fair amount I mean ALL THE TIME. Whether it’s having a large gathering, a few families over or simply feeding half a dozen hungry boys after school, our home is always buzzing with people. And I love it. This means it’s imperative to have a few non-traditional appetizers up my sleeve so guests (and mostly me if I’m being honest) don’t get bored.

Take crudités and hummus for instance. A great go-to but IMO a bit lackluster and boring. So while pondering a healthy, flavorful, easy appetizer to serve my friends for a mother/kiddo happy hour recently my mind immediately gravitated towards a Loaded Hummus I’d jotted down in my recipe idea list a few months back. After a few test runs, it’s become my new favorite take on traditional crudités (even though I still love this one as well.)

Ridiculously simple and easy to throw together it presents itself as more of an elevated bite. We use store-bought hummus as a base, then pile it high with mediterranean-spiced ground chicken, a handful of crumbled feta and plenty of fresh mint. The finishing touch is a drizzle of hot honey before serving with scooped out baby cucumbers and plenty of whole-wheat tortilla pita. Let’s go!

Ingredients

Chicken. You could really use any kind of protein here but I wanted this to be a healthy dip my guests (and I) wouldn’t feel guilt indulging in so I stuck with ground chicken breast. If you don’t like chicken you could use ground turkey, ground sirloin (also low in calories and fat) or even ground lamb.

Onion + garlic. This is pretty self explanatory – garlic and onion is always a must.

Spices. I wanted the flavors to resemble a chicken shawarma of sorts so we’re using plenty of cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic and a little ground clove.

Roasted red peppers. Love the slight pop of briny freshness and color a handful of diced roasted red peppers add.

Feta. Salty feta is my cheese of choice but you could also leave it out completely for a dairy-free loaded hummus.

Mint. Freshness is a must so I love to use freshly chopped mint. Basil, parsley, cilantro or fresh oregano would be good additions as well.

Hummus. Any store-bought good-quality hummus will do!

Let’s make loaded hummus!

Cook the chicken. This is the hardest component of our loaded hummus and it takes virtually no effort so you can understand how easy the final product is. Start by sweating the onion in a little bit of olive oil. Add the garlic and then add the chicken. The key here is to use a wooden spoon to break up the chicken as small as possible. Almost to the point of it being minced. It takes a bit of effort but it’s worth it.

Prep the other ingredients. While the chicken cooks, I use this time to make sure everything else is ready to go. Chop the roasted red peppers and mint. If the feta isn’t already crumbled, do that now. Spread the hummus on your platter.

Assemble! Let the the chicken cool for a few minutes and then stir in half of the mint and the roasted red peppers. Sprinkle 3/4 of the chicken mixture over the hummus. Sprinkle with 3/4 of the feta over the chicken. Top with remaining chicken. Sprinkle with remaining feta and mint. Drizzle with hot honey.

Serve! I like to serve our loaded hummus with scooped out baby cucumbers and whole-wheat pita. Mini bell peppers, pita chips or any other crudités will work great as well.

Can I make Loaded Hummus in Advance?

Yes! You can make the entire dish up to a day ahead of time. I’d pull it out about 30 minutes before so it can come up in temperature a bit.

Substitutions

• Swap out the traditional hummus for roasted red pepper, garlic or even olive. All good choices!
• Instead of chicken, use ground turkey, ground sirloin or ground lamb.
• For herbs, you can use whatever you have on hand – cilantro, flat-leaf parsley and basil are all great alternatives or additions.