Are your meals parading around naked because you're too busy to spend the time mincing, chopping and slicing, often required when preparing spreads, toppings and sauces?

I've found fashionable accessories for my meals tucked away in jars loitering in the aisles with potato chips at supermarkets and convenience stores. Those creamy jarred and canned dips — so easy they need no refrigeration before opening — are the ones that beckon you to serve them with chips and beer before every football game. Surprisingly, though, the flavors are often terrific and the calorie counts reasonable; they become the perfect accompaniment to dramatically and quickly increase the gourmet quotient of many everyday meals.

My eyes were first opened to the whole genre through the new Creamy Salsa from Tostitos. Knowing that dips are often loaded, I was pleased to find that, at 18 calories per tablespoon, it had fewer calories than most salad dressings. At first, I just thought it would be a good dip for the Tostitos Multigrain Chips that had recently been introduced and were quite addictive by themselves.

The Creamy Salsa, though, was so good — I also found Tostitos Creamy Southwestern Ranch Dip and its Creamy Spinach Dip to be yummy — that soon I was using them as spreads, dips, toppings and sauces to perk up many dishes in seconds. This also tempted me to try other jarred and canned products including: Frito-Lay Hot Bean Dip with Jalapeno Peppers, Lay's Creamy Ranch Dip and Ruffles Rich & Creamy Smoky Bacon and Cheddar Dip. These dips also produced excellent results.

If you're thinking of taking a dip, here are some ideas:

— For a potent and creamy flavor addition, stir a tablespoon or two of dip into scrambled eggs, spoon it on top of an omelet, or drape it over poached eggs on top of toasted English muffins and slices of Canadian bacon. The dip can be warmed slightly in the microwave first (about 10 seconds), if desired.

— Make cream or vegetable soups even more creamy and flavorful by stirring in a dollop of dip.

— Baked potatoes jump up the flavor scale when topped with dip.

— Include flavored dip in burger patties when forming them, or spread it on buns before serving grilled burgers.

— Give toast or dinner rolls a kick by spreading on some dip and lightly broiling.

— Turn frozen or fresh-steamed vegetables into a more memorable creamy side dish by stirring in dips while they are hot after cooking. Rip up, which is quicker than chopping, a few fresh herbs and sprinkle them on top.

DIP-TOPPED CURRY TURKEY BURGERS

1 pound ground turkey

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce or sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

4 large sesame hamburger buns, toasted

Toppings:

Store-bought creamy salsa, southwestern or ranch dip

Shredded napa cabbage

Bean sprouts

Fresh cilantro

Sliced tomatoes

Yields 4 servings.

Place turkey in large bowl. Add green onions, cilantro, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ginger, curry powder, cumin and sugar; mix well. Shape into 4 patties.

Preheat grill or broiler. Grill or broil for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. USDA recommends that ground poultry be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 F.

Spread creamy salsa, southwestern or ranch dip on buns; top with burgers and toppings.

— Adapted from Nestle (www.nestleusa.com).

DIP-TOPPED BAKED EGGS

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon cubed cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon diced cooked ham

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon sour cream

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Topping:

Store-bought creamy onion or spinach dip

Yields 1 serving.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a ramekin (see Note) or 6-ounce custard cup.

Put the dill, cheese and ham in the cup, then break eggs over the contents of the cup. Add the sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

Place the filled cup in a baking pan, and add enough hot water to the pan so that the water level reaches halfway up the side of the cup. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. With oven mitt, carefully remove the cup from the water. Top with creamy onion or spinach dip.

Note: A ramekin is a small, individual baking dish. If you don't have one, use a 6-ounce custard cup. The ingredients listed are for a single serving, but you can bake multiple cups at the same time.

— Adapted from "The Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Cookbook" (Yankee, $24.95).

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.