Spicy Pita Chips and Cheese

This weekend I was asked to bring an hors d'oeuvres to a special friend's birthday party. I knew just the thing. Spicy Pita Chips and Cheese.

No one wants a hot appetizer on a hot summer night. This one is cool, creamy, spicy, crunchy. It's packed with flavor from fresh garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and ground red pepper.




It's usually a hit. And, sure enough, I came home with an empty platter and bowl.

You can make the dip and serve with store-purchased pita chips (yawn!). But, just saying, the recipe is MADE with the combination of the two!! Well worth the time.

Enjoy!

Spicy Pita Chips and Cheese (I doubled this for a group of 25)

Dip:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tablespoon milk
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill at least 8 hours.

Pita Chips:
4 pita bread rounds
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Separate each pita into 2 rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Place wedges into large zip-loc bag. Combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle butter mixture over wedges. Seal and shake, coating wedges as well as possible. Bake in a single layer at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

(This says "30 minutes," but I checked mine every 10 minutes or so and removed the ones that had already gotten crisp. Some of the pita pieces are very thin and crisp up quickly, some are thicker and need longer. Keep a good watch on them.)