Saturday, March 20, 2010

Appetizers - Mexican Dips

I am a Mexican food lover. I love tacos, enchiladas, nachos, burritos and most salsas I've tried.
I'd like to share a few Mexican dip recipes that we've used as appetizers when we have guests over.
One of my favorites is a 7-Layer Dip. My sister actually got me hooked on this when she made it for my niece.
My sister used a plastic coated paper plate and built from there. She began with a can of vegetarian refried beans. She spread a layer of the beans on the plate.
Next, she took an avocado, mixed the avocado with a little bit of lemon juice and then spread this on top of the beans.
The third layer is sour cream. My sister mixes in some taco seasoning with the sour cream. My niece and I both like mild taco seasoning, so this works great for us.
Next we put some mild salsa on top. On top of the salsa, we put cheese. My favorite cheese is the Mexican blend cheese. Other people prefer a mild cheddar cheese.
Your final layers are the vegetables you want. This can include chopped tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, chopped olives, chopped onions or chopped green onions. Personally I do not included bell peppers, but I know many other people enjoy the variety of peppers on their food.
We serve this cold, as is, with tortilla chips. It makes a great snack.
The next dip I like is a hot dip recipe. It's very simple to make and has a great Mexican flavor to it.
Start with a pound of ground meat. I almost always use ground turkey. Brown the meat and drain well and set aside. In another pan, heat sixteen ounces of cheese and 1 ½ cups of salsa. Use mild or spicy depending on your personal taste preference. Once the cheese is melted, add in a few drops of Tabasco sauce. The amount you add will depend on your personal taste preference. While I love flavor, I'm not a fan of spicy hot foods and so I use mild salsa and limited amounts of Tabasco. Mix this all together and keep warm with a fondue pot. Serve with tortilla chips.
The third dip I'd like to share with you is also served hot. It's very easy to put together and can be served with tortilla chips or spooned onto ripped pieces of tortillas. I take round tortillas and cut them into 4 pieces for serving.
In a glass dish, spread eight ounces of softened cream cheese. Spread one can of chili over the cream cheese. One of my daughters does not like beans, so we use a beanless chili. If you like chili with beans, use that instead. Sprinkle one small can of chopped green chilies on top of this and heat in the oven or microwave until hot. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and cook again until cheese is melted.
The possibilities of cheeses and vegetables you can use with this dip are endless. If you like chopped olives, add those right before serving. If you like chopped onion, you can add in sautéed chopped onion before cooking.
Have fun playing with the different combinations on these recipes. Create dips your entire family will enjoy.


Source:http://ezinearticles.com


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