Southwest Dip

It was Tuesday at 4 p.m. I was sitting at my desk working, yet badly craving a snack. And I mean badly. Nothing in the refrigerator sounded even remotely interesting, so luckily I wasn't feeling lazy. Hunger and laziness all too often go hand-in-hand for me. I got off of my tush and created this dip! It was delicious. Totally hit the spicy, smokey, salty note that I desperately needed. I ate a good portion of it before I decided that like all dips, it would probably be better if I let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Plus I figured that I should save some for Andrew.

Give it a try! Maybe this weekend, it would be great for the Super Bowl. Lots of depth on these flavors, at first it tastes smokey, but as you eat it the flavors start to come out. (Andrew actually pointed that out to me. He said that was the reason he liked it so much). I suppose it's quite addicting in that way. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 8oz. Package of Cream Cheese
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 oz. Cheddar Cheese (half of a brick), shredded
From a can of Chilies in Adobo Sauce - 1 Pepper & 1/2 Tblsp Sauce
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Red Hot, Cholula, etc.)
1/2 Tsp Jalapeno Tabasco
Generous Handful Cilantro, minced
Juice from 1/2 Lime
1 Tsp Salt

* Use less of the chilies and tabascos if you don't tolerate heat/spice well. I say bring it on!

Directions:

Here are our ingredients. All stuff I tend to have on hand at any given time.

To start, shredd your cheese. And for the love of God, do not buy bag cheese. It's horrible and embarrassing. I can't even believe they sell cheese in a bag. I can honestly say that I haven't bought bagged cheese in at least 12 years. Why does it have a dusty film on it and why doesn't it melt right? Buy a box grater, people. Once you get good at it, you'll grate a block of cheese in less than a minute like me.

Pick off your cilantro leaves, a few stems are okay obviously. Dice small or use a food processor like me.

I am lazy, so of course I used a food processor for this entire recipe. After all, that's why Andrew bought it for me. He knows I'm lazy and that's not going to change, but he still wants delicious food. Thus the food processor and his willingness to do the dishes on a nightly basis. He's really is the best husband!

Combine everything except for the shredded cheddar in a food processor, stand mixer, or by using a strong hand.

Process until it is well combined, scraping down once or twice if needed.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheddar by hand.

Give it a taste. YUM! Eat a few bites to let that taste come out. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. It will stay good for a few days in the refrigerator. Still tastes great today - 3 days later. :)

I think that I'm going to try this same recipe with the addition of chicken at some point. It would be outstanding! Let me know if you get to it before me.