Spicy taco dip recipe
Football season means football snacks. At any football party across the country, it’s clear that polite, mild-mannered snacks are no longer making the coffee table cut. Our collective taste is changing to something a bit more picante — stale pretzels are out, poppers are in. Spicy wings dominate sports bars. Self-serve pickled jalapeños are available for “nachos” at every concession stand, movie theater and gas station across the country. Cholula is even a table condiment at IHOP(!) of all places. Hell, salsa usurped ketchup in America as the most popular condiment almost a quarter of a century ago. It’s well past time some long-held favorites stepped up their game. And that means you bean dip.
Also known as Texas Trash Dip, this spicy taco dip is a proven crowd-pleaser that’s easy to make, easy to transport and easy to clean. It’s also easy to spot — just look for the group of partygoers trying not to draw attention to themselves while struggling frantically to separate their chip or spoon from the long gooey strands of cheese coming out of a steaming disposable foil tray. Unlike the lifeless bean dips that are more of an afterthought than an appetizer, spicy taco dip isn’t served cold buried under a heaping pile of lettuce and sour cream with only a thin layer of mild salsa to deliver the flavor. It’s a piping hot and gooey bean dip packed with tons of spice, baked to creamy perfection and topped with plenty of jalapeños — in other words, if you’re a displaced Cleveland Browns fan like me*, it may be the only touchdown you see on game day.
* As a Browns fan, having great appetizers are an especially critical part of the game — it’s a convenient way to distract yourself from the horror unfolding on TV and very often, the only positive thing to take away from the afternoon. FirstEnergy Stadium is also known as the Factory of Sadness for a reason. Let me tell you, the cursing, pleading, praying and overall emotional savagery can work up quite an appetite. Lots and lots of beer is good for the deep and profound sadness that follows nearly every game, but it’s really the food that anchors the whole experience.
UPDATE: As of 2018 — and I could not be more pleased to type this — only Drew Brees (116.9) has a higher passer rating in the Red Zone than Baker Mayfield (115.1). And one of those quarterbacks didn’t even start the season. That means the Cleveland Browns go from 28th in the NFL (of 32 teams for those of you unfamiliar with football and thought you might still be reading a recipe) to sixth overall in Red Zone touchdowns. It’s exciting stuff — if you care how efficiently grown men throw a small oblong ball to each other.
UPDATE: As of 2019 — Without exception, the factory of sadness requires sacrifice each and every year, somehow starry-eyed 2018 me forgot that terrible truth. Scarred and bitter 2019 me recognizes Kitchens for the jawdroppingly bad playcaller and season-wasting coach he was. It’s very difficult to win games when the coaching staff (not you Priefer, you’re a rockstar) is shockingly unprepared for their opponent every week. It’s a credit to our players we pulled out the six we did. Our boys across Erie made the playoffs, good for them. Lost to the Texans though which is almost like losing to the Browns at this point (Duke Johnson, Carlos Hyde, Darren Fells, Barkevious Mingo, Tashaun Gipson, Phillip Gaines… ). Go Texans!
Image: ForkingSpoon
Spicy taco bean and cheese dip recipe
In parties full of crowdpleasers like spicy Buffalo wings and jalapeño poppers, cold bean and cheese dips and other mild-mannered snacks are no longer making the coffee table cut.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Don't forget to set out the cream cheese to soften (about 10 minutes).
Sauté garlic, pico de gallo and chiles
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic, pico de gallo, green chilies and jalapeños until hot and slightly softened. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook the bean dip
Add the refried beans, sour cream and cream cheese and stir constantly until you no longer see large chunks of the cream cheese. Don’t let the beans come to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, the cheddar cheese and 2 ounces of the Mexican blend cheese and stir constantly until the cheese has melted. Taste using one of the chips you plan to serve it with (so you can gauge the seasoning level properly). Add extra taco seasoning and salt to taste if desired.
Bake the bean dip
Transfer the mixture to a small oven-proof casserole dish (or disposable aluminum pan). Top it with the remaining Mexican blend cheese and if desired your choice extra jalapeños or pico de gallo (or both). Cook for 5 to 7 minutes and serve the dip hot from the oven with your choice of chips.
Notes
Pick up something like these Reynolds Bakeware pans or Hefty EZ® Foil All Purpose Pans with Lids if you're planning on bringing this spicy taco dip to a party or tailgate — it's by far the easiest way to cook, transport and serve up some Texas Trash Dip. And as an added bonus, there's nothing to clean after the party unless you really, really want to.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Don't forget to set out the cream cheese to soften (about 10 minutes).
Sauté garlic, pico de gallo and chiles
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic, pico de gallo, green chilies and jalapeños until hot and slightly softened. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook the bean dip
Add the refried beans, sour cream and cream cheese and stir constantly until you no longer see large chunks of the cream cheese. Don’t let the beans come to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, the cheddar cheese and 2 ounces of the Mexican blend cheese and stir constantly until the cheese has melted. Taste using one of the chips you plan to serve it with (so you can gauge the seasoning level properly). Add extra taco seasoning and salt to taste if desired.
Bake the bean dip
Transfer the mixture to a small oven-proof casserole dish (or disposable aluminum pan). Top it with the remaining Mexican blend cheese and if desired your choice extra jalapeños or pico de gallo (or both). Cook for 5 to 7 minutes and serve the dip hot from the oven with your choice of chips.
DISCLOSURE Hey there! Just so you know, this post might contain links to Amazon or other trusted affiliates where we make a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We’ve also hand-picked some products for this recipe we thought our smart (and attractive) readers might enjoy : ) Learn more about our affiliate linking policy.
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Sterno SpeedHeat flameless food warming system
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Reynolds Bakeware pans with lids
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Cleveland Browns oven mitt and pot holder set
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