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Durango Dip

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Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning Mix

Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning Mix

This recipe is #2 in a series of easy recipes for Cinco de Mayo

This is a creamy easy dip that goes great with chips or is good served on tacos, enchiladas or burritos.  We first tried this dip at a friend’s super bowl party. We were just thrilled to find out how easy it was to make AND that all the ingredients were from Trader Joe’s- yeah.

What you need:

  • 1 pint Trader Joe’s sour cream
  • 1 package Trader Joe’s taco seasoning
  • Optional items: green onions (sliced thin), shredded cheese, olives

How to:

1. Place the pint of sour cream in a bowl and mix in 1 tsp. of Trader Joe’s taco seasoning. Add the green onions if using and stir until everything is combined. Taste the dip and add more taco seasoning if you like (our friends used the whole package of Trader Joe’s taco seasoning, which was delicious, but spicy)

2. Spread the dip into a serving bowl or dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese and sliced olives.

Variations:

  • We thought this dip would be great as a layer on a 7 layer bean dip.
  • Add chopped up bacon for a smoky flavor.
  • Add fresh herbs such as parsley and chives in with the green onions

This dip will also be better if made a day (or two) before you wish to serve it.

Yes, that is really all there is to this dip. At the super bowl party, our friends were using this dip on a veggie tray that was filled with baby carrots, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. This dip was soo tasty that somehow (and we will never tell…) the dip made its way across the table and found its way onto a few of the bowls of chili.  Yummz!

Easy Recipe Bean Dip

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Easy Recipe Bean Dip

Easy Recipe Bean Dip

Here is a simple recipe that you can quickly make when you need to bring an item to some kind of gathering. OR, we will admit, this is a great item to snack on while you are watching a game or a movie some night… We were planning to bring some food to a meeting on Tuesday and we thought a bean dip would be just the item!  We also thought you might be interested in learning how to make one of these dips from scratch as well.  Are you reading the Food Revolution and looking for easy recipes to cook? Here is a good one!

Not only is Easy Recipe Bean Dip delicious, it is a great recipe for beginners because there are not that many main ingredients. Also, it is not hard to make (heat, stir & chill). Finally, it is flexible- you can make it a day or two before you need to serve it or it can be ready just an hour before hand.

Even better…. This recipe is very flexible and easily modified so  you can easily add more or less of an ingredient to make it “your Special Recipe Bean Dip” that everyone will ask you to bring etc.. They might even want you to Pass It On to them! Nice!!

By the way, all the main ingredients for this recipe you can easily find in your local Trader Joe’s or your favorite grocery store:

Main Ingredients:

  • 1 can  re-fried beans (pinto or black –use what you like)
  • 1 jar salsa (your favorite- we like Trader Joe’s Salsa Authentica)
  • Shredded cheese in a package (we like to use a “Mexican Blend” but Colby or Jack is also good)
  • Taco chips for dipping

Optional Ingredients:

  • Taco seasoning
  • Sliced olives
  • Sour cream
  • Sliced Avocados

Lets Cook!

Heat the refried beans in a pan on the stove.  When warm, stir in some of your favorite salsa. We add about 1/3 of a cup of salsa to the beans. Then add ½ a cup of your shredded cheese to the pan. If you are using the taco seasoning, add about a spoonful of that too.

Stir all this together, until everything is warm and blended.

Heat beans, salsa & cheese

Beans, salsa & cheese

Pour the hot bean mixture into a serving pan (we like to use a glass pie pan) and let cool. At this point you can let it cool in the refrigerator overnight and finish it in the morning.

Easy Bean Dip

Easy Bean Dip

When cool, you can spread a thin layer of sour cream on top, and then sprinkle some of that cheese on top of the sour cream.

Bean Dip

Bean Dip

At this point, you can add olives or avocado to the top of the dip if you are using these items.

Ta-da! That’s it! You are finished … and ready to eat!

Dig into this dip with some taco chips and enjoy.

Have fun with this recipe. The next time you make it, you can tweak it a little and make it your own signature dip….Use hotter salsa, more cheese, less cheese, more taco seasoning, sliced green onions or even jalapenos on top! (eeks!) Use whatever stuff you like.

That is the great part about cooking from scratch; you are able to add your own personal creativity to your recipes.

Enjoy!

Hey drop us a note to tell us what changes you made to this recipe to make it more your own…