Hot OOEY GOOEY TEX MEX Cheese Dip & Taco Seasoning Mix

The spring like weather makes me want to fix salad suppers and finger foods and we have certainly been enjoying some lovely spring weather.  I took some liberties with a recipe I saw and got inspired to make a hot gooey dripping with luscious spicy goodness south of the border cheese dip.  Annies-eats.com  was the source of inspiration and here is the end result.

Ingredients:

1/2 C. Mayonnaise
8 oz. cream cheese
2 seeded and ribbed Jalapenos chopped fine
1 fresh, roasted, seeded, peeled, and de-veined red bell pepper, diced
3 -4 green onions chipped
1/2 C. chopped fresh cilantro
10 oz. sharp cheddar shredded
8 oz. pepper jack cheese shredded
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

 Stir all of the ingredients together well in a large bowl until well combined.  Place 1/2 of the mixture in a freezer safe container and freeze for another day.  Place about  1/4 C. portions in microwave safe individual dishes and microwave on medium for about 2-3 minutes.  Refrigerate any unused portion for another day,  Serve with nacho chips or crisp crackers or veggies.  This is quite addictive so resist the temptation to cut the recipe in half.  I can't wait to serve this to our sons when they are home!!

If you like you may also spoon the whole concoction into a buttered glass baking dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree preheated oven until bubbling hot, about 20-30 minutes and serve for a small crowd of hungry cheese lovers.


While I was at it I made Taco salad for supper and was out of Taco seasoning so I whipped up a quick batch in the jar I keep it in.  Before I stirred it up I noticed how lovely the spices looked layered in the jar and thought .."what a nice gift this would make."  Especially given still in layers with directions to stir well before using.  So here you go I am repeating my recipe and showing the cool photo.

Taco Seasoning Ingredients:

4 T. chili Powder
3 T. +1 t. Paprika
3 T. Cumin
1 T. +2 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. Cayenne pepper

Use 2 T. mix to 1 pound cooked ground beef or chicken, plus 1 C. water.  Simmer until the water is almost gone.  Serve with your favorite fixings for Tacos or Taco salad.