Ingredients
- 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened (I pop that baby in the microwave for about 30 seconds.)
- 16 oz. container sour cream
- 1 can of shoepeg corn, drained
- 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained (I use regular Rotel)
- 1 packet of taco seasoning mix
- 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 packet Ranch dressing mix (optional)
- 1 cup shredded chicken (optional)
Instructions
- Do all the pesky prep work (soften the cream cheese; drain the corn, beans, and Rotel; and shred the chicken if you're using chicken).
- Dump everything into a big bowl and mix it up really good.
- Put the dip into the serving dish you plan to use.
- Decide if you would like to serve the dip hot or cold (it is absolutely amazing either way). If you go for cold, just refrigerate for a few hours before serving. If you decide to go for hot, bake it at about 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (or until it's bubbly and starting to brown) just before serving.
- Serve with hearty chips. I like to use Fritos Scoops!
- Get ready for compliments!
Originally found on Pinterest, then linked to site called Eat Cake for Dinner, then linked back to a recipe on Gooseberry Patch's Simple Shortcut Recipes... this aubieangel-adapted recipe is my "go to" party contribution, both because it is SO easy and always SUCH a big hit! Seriously, this is one of those "dump it all in a bowl and serve with chips" recipes, and nearly everyone raves about it, especially guys. I have a small cult following in my husband's Navy Reserve unit thanks to this stuff.
First of all, it should be noted that I am shamelessly posting this recipe into my own cookbook. Someone at ya pins made me a very happy girl when they posted this. Also, the picture is not mine... it too came from the link. I should've taken my own picture of the batch I made, but alas no. I ate it too quickly to even consider stopping long enough to get the camera out.
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1/4 c. white onion, finely diced
- 1 large jalapeno, seeds and stem removed; finely diced (I used about a TBS of sliced jalapeno from a jar.)
- 12 oz white American cheese, shredded (I'm not sure where the original recipe creator found white American cheese in a block, but I wound up buying the Kraft brand slices and cutting them up into little pieces.)
- 4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (Don't use pre-shredded - again, this is part of the original recipe, so I don't know why preshredded won't work, but don't use it.)
- 1/2 to 1 c. cream, half-and-half, or whole milk (I used heavy cream, and the full amount, and it was divine.)
- 1-2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced (I'm lazy, so I only used one roma tomato, and I didn't remove the seeds. It worked out just fine.)
- 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (I used about 10 stems, I think. You can't really over-cilantro this dip, so don't be shy with it.)
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low. (I cooked mine until they were a little more done than just "softened." Mine were starting to brown, and I think it made the dip that much better.)
Stir in the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of cream. Quickly stir until the cheese is melted. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.
Serve immediately.
Warning, this dip is highly addictive and can destroy willpower with a single taste.
I was alone when I ate it, and I still kept murmering little yummy nothings and OMG'ing every time my mouth wasn't full. Hence the renaming of this dip from its original "Queso Blanco" to "OMG White Cheese Dip."
- 5 ripe avocados
- 1/3 c. chopped red onion
- 1 c. chopped cilantro
- 1 TBS chopped jalapenos (I use the kind in a jar)
- juice from 1 lime
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Peel and pit the avocados, then mash them up. Add all other ingredients, and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate briefly.
Serves 4-6, depending on how much your group likes avocado. I could eat the whole batch all by myself, but my tummy would probably hurt. I like to serve (and eat) this guac with Tostitos Artisan Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Chips.
Does not keep well overnight, so be sure to gobble it all up before bed.
For the egg rolls:
- 2 cans shoepeg corn, drained
- 1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel
- 1 c. fresh cilantro, picked and chopped
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (I use 2% reduced fat or Cabot 75% reduced fat)
- 1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained
- 1 TBS onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- avocado (optional, but if you choose to include them, you can use anywhere from 2 to 6 of them: peeled, pitted, and chopped into pieces)
- 1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers
Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix everything together (except--obviously--the wrappers).
Use a spoon to scoop filling onto the wrapper. Starting at a corner, carefully start to roll the wrapper. When it’s slightly rolled, tuck in the two sides and continue rolling to the last point. Wet your finger with water and dab a bit on the corner to seal the roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.
Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking.
Makes 48 mini rolls (wonton wrappers) or 28 regular rolls (egg roll wrappers). The tiny little wonton wrappers are tedious, but very tasty and the right size for bite-size party snacks. If you go with wonton wrappers, you will very likely need to leave them in the oven longer than 15 minutes. In my experience, the bake-time for the egg-roll size is more like 20-25 minutes. You'll know they're done when both sides are brown and starting to crisp.
For avocado ranch:
- 3/8 cup light mayonnaise
- 3/8 cup light sour cream
- 3 Tbs milk
- 1/2 Tbs olive oil
- 1/2 Tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Use immediately.
These were TRULY delicious. Both times I've made these, husband told me they tasted better than an appetizer ordered in a restaurant. High praise from an "eat out addict" like my love. I used wonton wrappers the first time and egg roll wrappers the second. They were truly good both ways: nice and crispy, so flavorful and delicious. But I will admit that loading the wonton wrappers got very tedious, so I'll probably stick to the bigger egg roll wrappers unless I'm making them for a party. I was shocked by how "ranch-like" the avacado ranch was, since there's not actually any ranch in the ingredients list. It was fresh and delicious.
**Recipe adapted from a similar item found at cake&allie.**
- 12 oz. Pace Medium Picante sauce
- 1 c. picked cilantro
- 1 tsp. garlic pepper
- 1 TBS Weber Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce
Put all ingredients in blender and grind til well combined.
- 1 block of Light Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened (use generic at your own risk)
- 1/2 c. Light Sour Cream (Breakstone or Daisy; light generic brands seem runny)
- 1 tsp California Style Garlic Salt
- 1 small can chicken breast, drained
- 1 small packet of sliced almonds
Stir together cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic salt until completely mixed.
Option 1 (easier): Add chicken and almonds at the same time, then stir until the dip looks uniform in texture. Refrigerate dip until ready to serve. Serve as Chicken Cheese Dip.
Option 2 (fancier): Add chicken and stir until evenly distributed in mixture. Form mixture into a rounded ball and refrigerate several hours. Roll ball in almonds until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as Chicken Cheese Ball.
Serve with crackers. I like TownHouse butter crackers best, but Ritz work just fine, and you could serve with veggies to keep it a bit lighter/healthier.
- 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1 can shoepeg corn
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 purple onion, chopped
- 3 T chopped cilantro
- 1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 1/2 c. canola oil (Bekah cut the oil to 1/4 c., and it was delicious!)
- lime juice & chopped garlic to tast (optional)
Mix all ingredients; best if refrigerated over night. Serve with your favorite chips or crackers.
I ate this on Baked Tostitos, and it was perfect! Again, this is a fabulous Bekah recipe, and I am so grateful she shared it with me. I can't wait to make this for my next get-together!
