Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – A Taste of Mexico for the Big Game

Here are three easy dips for Super Bowl Sunday. They are simple and so delicious. You can make them as spicy or as mild as you wish, but I guarantee they will be crowd pleasers.

Hot Bean Dip: warm and delicious! Mix together one 8oz package softened cream cheese and  one cup sour cream. Add two 16oz cans refried beans, ¼ cup chopped green onions, half an 8oz package each of shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses (reserve the other half), and pepper sauce to taste. Transfer to a glass 8X12 inch baking dish, smoothing to an even layer. Top with remaining shredded cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees till cheese is slightly brown, about 20-30 minutes. Serve with authentic tortilla chips or baguette slices.

Seven Layer Taco Dip: Layer 1 pound cooked ground beef mixed with taco seasonings. I like McCormick low sodium as the regular mixes are very salty. Follow with one 15oz can refried beans warmed in the microwave. The rest of the ingredients should be room temperature. They are: 12oz shredded cheddar, ½ jar chunky salsa (your choice of heat level), two small tomatoes seeded and diced, one 15oz can pitted black olives, sliced and one cup shredded lettuce. Put ½ cup sour cream in a Ziploc bag, snip off the corner and swirl over the top. Serve with tortilla chips.

Classic Guacamole: everyone’s favorite! For the basic recipe start with 3 ripe avocadoes. Mash to the preferred consistency, chunky or smooth. Add 1 small tomato seeded and diced, along with 1 small diced red onion. Season with garlic powder and tabasco to taste. If you are fond of cilantro, add a handful of diced leaves. Personally, I can’t stand the stuff.

A word on tortilla chips. I prefer the authentic chips you find in the Mexican aisles. They are thicker and stand up better to these thick dips. I also go with unsalted varieties. The salted ones are so very salty they overpower the dips’ taste.

Have a great Super Bowl!

KATHY WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO