LOL, so I’m leaving the below post in-tact as I originally wrote it. Just goes to show you how much of a procrastinator I am. I wrote all of this shortly after COVID hit LAST March, and now it’s been A FULL YEAR. Well, absolutely better late than never! The reason I waited so long to post is because I was unhappy with the first batch of photos on these recipes, and since we’ve been on lockdown we never seem to have occasions to make dips anymore! Well, we finally made all three recipes for our Super Bowl Party for Two, 2021! I hope you enjoy these recipes!
Delicious times three, plus one of our favorite local beers for good measure!
What wild times we’re living in right now. It’s not often that we’re all fully aware of living through a crisis that will surely be written into the history books. This is week four of working from home for both Todd and I. On week one, I said to myself “I finally have some time to work on those blog posts that keep piling up!” Well, we see how well that’s gone. But I’m writing one now, and that’s what matters!
Just as an FYI, I’m not intending this or any of the next few posts to be “quarantine specific” recipes. Most of them are recipes I’ve had in my backlog for months (possibly even a year in some cases) that I’m finally finding the time to put to paper. But, hopefully your grocery stores have restocked enough to allow you to cook along!
This post is actually a trio of recipes. Hence the trio of mismatched photo taking sessions. The original inspiration for this post is the Hot Black Bean and Corn Dip, by Stephanie on the Macaroni and Cheesecake blog (which appears to have gone defunct since originally sourcing this recipe?). But a few months ago, Todd and I discovered just how easy it is to make your own tortilla chips, so I’ve included that recipe, as well as Todd’s guacamole recipe. I hope you enjoy them all!
[Future Erica here cutting in to mention this egregious mismatch problem was why I procrastinated on posting the original version of this recipe. We had made the bean dip for a party at the beach, and FORGOT to put it out on the spread, so we had to put it in a different container and bring it home, then put it in another, third container to bake and take photos. It drove me NUTS.]
- 1 (15 oz) can sweet yellow corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles (of whatever spice level you prefer), drained
- 1 (8 oz) brick cream cheese (full or reduced fat), softened and diced into 1” chunks
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
- Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except ½ cup of the shredded cheese). Stir well to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a 2 quart baking dish and spread evenly. Top with remaining ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese on top has melted and the mixture is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and serve with homemade chips, while hot!
- 3 ripe avocados
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 lime
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves, or 1 tsp chopped garlic
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Halve and pit the avocados and scape into a large bowl. Using a potato masher (or fork if you don’t have one) mash the avocados until they’re your desired consistency (we like chunky guacamole!)
- Squeeze in the lime juice and stir to combine.
- Finely dice the onion and tomatoes and add them to the mixture. Chop the cilantro and add to the bowl.
- Toss in garlic, cayenne, and salt, and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as desired, and enjoy!
- 1 (30 ct) package 6” corn tortillas
- 1 quart oil, for frying (canola, vegetable, or similar)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- First, heat the oil in your deep fryer (see note 1).
- Cut the tortillas into quarters or 6ths, depending on the size chip you prefer.
- Once the oil has heated up, add ¼ of the chips to the basket. Be sure to separate them as much as possible when laying them down.
- Lower the basket into the oil, and shake slightly to agitate the chips. This helps prevent sticking.
- Cook for 2-4 minutes, shaking the basket slightly several times during cooking (see note 2).
- Once the chips are golden brown, remove them from oil and place onto a paper-towel lined baking sheet (or other suitably large tray). Sprinkle immediately with salt.
- Enjoy!
Note 2: We don’t flip our chips halfway through cooking. They cook fast, and the oil usually covers the whole chip, making flipping impractical and somewhat dangerous. Just simply agitate the chips by shaking the basket periodically and you should have no issues.
Lots of pantry staples in this dip recipe!
The “how to” section of these recipes is super short. In all three cases, it’s basically “gather ingredients, mix together” then followed by “Bake” or “enjoy!”
Mixed dip ready for the oven.
This dip is great as a make-ahead recipe, too. It can be mixed together and stored in the fridge for a day or two before baking.
Such an easy, creamy, delicious dip!
Next up, Guacamole!
Only the best, fresh ingredients for this Guac!
Todd wants me to make sure I note here that he didn’t use all of the shallots in this recipe. He used 3! The main recipe also says “1 medium yellow onion” and really, it’s guac – use whatever you want!
Finally, chips!
Three ingredients and a deep fryer, it can’t get any easier!
Always always always enjoy responsibly with your favorite local brew!
Finished and looking like a million bucks!
