Whenever I entertain, I offer a hot cheesy dip such as spinach dip, pizza dip, or this zesty Mexican style bean dip. Your family and friends will be sure to give this snack rave reviews!
Bean Dip Ingredients
To make this bean dip recipe you will need cream cheese, sour cream, refried beans, taco seasoning, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo salsa and tortilla chips. Have a feast with this dip and some Mexican food favorites like carne guisada, cheese enchiladas and Mexican rice.
How Do You Make Bean Dip?
The key to bean dip is transforming ordinary refried beans to a flavorful and delectable dip. To make the dip creamy and smooth, start by beating cream cheese until light and fluffy with a mixer. Next add sour cream and mix it in. Stir canned refried beans into the cream cheese and add taco seasoning and shredded cheddar cheese. Mix everything together. Place the dip in a prepared oven safe dish and top the dip with more cheddar cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly. When the dip heats through and the cheese melts, take the dish out of the oven and top the dip with pico de gallo salsa. Serve and enjoy!
Tips For The Perfect Bean Dip
Use high quality canned refried beans which have a dark color and a nice consistency. Some generic brand refried beans can be watery. If you want to save some calories, you can use low fat cream cheese and sour cream. You can make this dip in advance by assembling it, covering it, and storing in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you plan to bake it. When you are ready to serve the dip, simply uncover it and bake it. Make sure to add 10 extra minutes to the cooking time. You can use any shallow baking dish or oven safe skillet that you like. You can purchase pico de gallo salsa or you make your own homemade pico de gallo salsa. I recommend making your own taco seasoning. If you use store bought taco seasoning, check to make sure it is fresh for maximum flavor.
Flavor Variations
This traditional refried bean dip is delicious as-is; however, you can boost the flavor with some extra ingredients.
Add-Ins: Feel free to add extra items such as green chiles, diced bell peppers, corn, sauteed onions or salsa to the dip. Meat: Leftover Mexican style meat such as pork carnitas, taco meat or chicken tinga can turn this dip into a meal. Toppings: You can add extra toppings such as a scoop of guacamole, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, green onions, diced red onion, chopped cilantro or corn salsa. Seasonings: For a stronger flavor you can add a little garlic powder, pepper, cumin or onion powder. Spicy: Add diced jalapenos, chili powder or hot sauce for a spicy dip. Cheese: You can substitute Monterey Jack cheese, pepper jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend for the cheddar cheese. Dippers: While tortilla chips are traditional, you can eat nacho flavored chips, crackers, carrots or celery sticks with your dip.
If you have ever wondered how they get restaurant bean dip to be so smooth and creamy, this recipe is your answer. Why go to a restaurant when you can have this delicious dip fresh and hot from your oven?
