Cheesy Baked Taco Dip
Time to add a new party food recipe to your bag of tricks! I just love the spicy flavors and gooey cheesiness, serve it with corn chips & suddenly, you have a party on your hands.
I used previously browned ground beef, which saves me so much time when I am in a rush to put on a party. I would highly recommend that you start bulk cooking hamburger and freezing in 1-lb packages. In addition to pre-cooked hamburger, my homemade bulk taco seasoning blend makes this dip a breeze to prepare. If you don’t make your own taco seasoning, now is the time to start! It is super easy, immeasurably more delicious & you control the heat & salt!! Who could ask for anything more?
Now onto the dip! Here is a quick list of dip ingredients:
- ½ sweet white onion, diced
- ½ 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
- 1 c of your favorite salsa
- ½ pound pre-cooked hamburger meat
- 1½ T dry ranch seasoning blend
- 1½ T homemade taco seasoning blend ((RECIPE HERE))
- 5-6 T fresh chopped cilantro, divided
- ½ c beans, either cooked or refried
- 1 8 oz block of cream cheese
- ½ c light mayonnaise
- 1 c hand-shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Simply heat the tomatoes, salsa and onions until the onions are softened ((approximately 5 minutes)).
Add hamburger & half of the dry ranch.
Add the homemade taco seasoning blend.
When I made this dip, I had some leftover Beans & Chicos. With such tasty ingredients on hand, I couldn’t help but add some to this dip. Into the pot : ½ c of cooked beans ((and chicos — recipe HERE)). ((½ c of canned or refried beans will work nicely if you don’t want to go to the effort to make Beans & Chicos.))
Half of the chopped cilantro to add a nice brightness.
For the next layer, I combined the mayo, cream cheese & remaining ranch seasoning.
Place the saucy taco meat in an 8″ x 11″ baking dish & top with the cream cheese mixture.
Top with shredded cheese & bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.
Garnish with remaining cilantro.
Oooh, look at the layers! The perfect balance of gooey & spicy. Let the party begin!
- ½ sweet white onion, diced
- ½ 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
- 1 c of your favorite salsa
- ½ pound pre-cooked hamburger meat
- 1½ T dry ranch seasoning blend, divided
- 1½ T homemade taco seasoning blend
- 5-6 T fresh chopped cilantro, divided
- ½ c beans, either cooked or refried
- 1 8 oz block of cream cheese
- ½ c light mayonnaise
- 1 c hand-shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook onion, tomatoes & salsa for 5 minutes over medium flame. Add hamburger, half of the ranch seasoning & all of the taco seasoning, stir to combine. Add half of the fresh cilantro & beans, cook for 5 more minutes. Place in an 8" x 11" baking dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo & remaining ranch seasoning. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the taco meat.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes until melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with remaining cilantro.
- Serve with corn chips.
- Serves 12