This week Michelle and I are getting ready for our oldest son Calvin and his fiancée Carla’s wedding and the recipe is one that we got from Carla (who I believe got it from her mom). This Taco Dip is pretty much like a traditional seven layer dip often served at parties, but we liked it so much we made it for dinner. The recipe given here would easily serve 6 people as a meal and many more as part of a party table of other munchies. In the pictures, you are seeing the recipe halved so we didn’t have too much left over.
Start out by browning a pound of ground beef and add a packet of your favorite taco seasoning. (Remember in the picture, this is inly 1/2 pound. I actually browned the entire pound and put half in the freezer for another meal later.) . Let the meat cool while you start the layers.
In a bowl or baking dish (we used a Tupperware container and made two), spread 1 can of refried beans. If you use the low fat variety, they are difficult to spread so it works better if you warm them up a little first.
Mix together one 8 oz block of cream cheese with 1/3 a jar of salsa (as spicy or mild as you like it) and spread it on top of the beans.
Sprinkle the cooled ground beef over the cream cheese mixture.
Top the ground beef with shredded cheese. We used a triple cheddar blend (we are in New York after all) but a Mexi-blend, taco cheese, Monterey jack, or pepper-jack would work well also. Now you get the chance to throw the garden at it. I added chopped green onion, but chopped tomatoes, red onions, shredded lettuce, cubed avocado, or sliced olives would all be good depending on your personal tastes.
We served the dip with a Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend from JR Dill Winery and tortilla chips. The bowl in the picture is 1/4 of the recipe.
I was trying to come up with a variation and here’s what I think would be really good: Substitute Italian seasoning for the taco seasoning in the ground beef and then layer with smashed white beans, cream cheese mixed with marinara, shredded provolone and fontina. Serve with pita chips or toasted bread. Call it lasagna dip?
Here’s the breakdown of the recipe:
Taco Dip
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 can refried beans (regular full fat variety works best)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/3 jar of salsa
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or blend to taste)
- Variety of toppings to taste: green onions, tomatoes, onion, olives, avocado, shredded lettuce to top
Layer one – beans
Layer two – cream cheese and salsa mixture
Layer three – ground beef taco meat
Layer four – shredded cheese
Top as you wish.
Let us know if you try either the dip or the variation and tell us what you think!
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