Who, besides us, remembers eating Hot Jezebel Dip (or sauce) back in the day?! If you’ve never even heard of it before, you’re in luck; this stuff is crazy good and actually really versatile. But we digress. While its origins and namesake are unclear, there’s nothing unclear about how popular this dip/sauce was at one point, as it can be found in tons recipe books, and dates back to the 1950s. Basically, this is the perfect sweet and savory sauce combo, with the perfect amount of zesty spiciness thrown in for good measure.

With apricot preserves serving as the heart of this dish, only four other ingredients - Dijon mustard, horseradish, salt and pepper - make it what it is. Once you’ve got your surprisingly sweet and spicy sauce, you can do any number of things with it. We took the traditional route and poured it over a block of cream cheese, since we love the cooling and creamy tanginess of the cheese, but this Jezebel sauce would also be AMAZING poured over a roasted pork loin or pork chops.

We’ve been making this for year and can say that, apart from its delicious flavor, the best part of this is probably people’s surprise when they take a bite, expecting something sweet, and the spicy, savory flavors kick in - it’s great! Whether you make it because you know people will love it, or you want to see people’s amusing reactions to it, Hot Jezebel Dip doesn’t ever disappoint!

1. In a bowl, whisk together apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons horseradish, and black pepper. Add more horseradish and black pepper to taste.
2. Optional: pour sauce into mason jars and store, refrigerated, until ready to serve.
3. Chill overnight OR serve immediately poured over top of cream cheese.
4. Serve with pita chips or crackers.