Name: Ultimate Bean Dip
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature; 2 (16-ounce) cans refried beans; 3/4 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot, depending on your preference); 1 tablespoon Homemade Taco Seasoning (plus more to taste if desired); 8 ounces (2 cups) grated pepper jack cheese (OR Monterrey Jack or sharp cheddar, for a milder dip); 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (plus additional for garnish)

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Ultimate Bean Dip is a creamy, cheesy, stove-top recipe requiring only six ingredients and just ten minutes...a perfect recipe for parties or the big game!

Football season has arrived, friends! And I don't know about you, but at our house that means College Game Day with coffee on Saturday mornings, weekend flag football games for my boys, a few fall treks to the ol' alma mater to cheer on the Aggies, and the background buzz of football games on TV several nights of the week. It also means GAME DAY GRUB...and I'd be lying if I said that a portion of my football-related excitement isn't entirely based around the food. 😉

When trying to think of a new game-watching dip recipe to share this season, I recalled a gooey, cheesy appetizer that we ordered at a local Tex-Mex restaurant over the summer. Now, y'all know that I'm a queso girl through and through, but we decided to get all wild and crazy that night and order Bean Dip in addition to our usual queso. I was surprised at how yummy it was, although I probably shouldn't have been, since the menu revealed that it was basically beans mixed with queso and what's not to love about any recipe involving queso?!

Anyway, I decided to concoct my own queso/bean homage to that restaurant dip.

I wanted my variation to be quick and easy to make, with just a handful of ingredients and ready in less than 15 minutes.

I also wanted it completely assembled in one pot on the stove-top, with the option of transferring the dip to a small slow cooker to keep warm for serving.

And since this version was supposed to mimic the addition of queso, I knew I'd need to take the cheese to the next level... 😉

6-Ingredient Bean Dip

Well, I'm happy to report that my experimentation was a success! Ultimate Bean Dip is an unbelievably easy-to-make, totally tasty recipe. How easy is it, you might be asking. Why, allow me to answer...it's as easy as dumping ingredients into a pot:

Refried beans. If you've got homemade refried beans, go for it! But it's easy to find canned refried beans these days with real, straightforward ingredients. So I'm all about taking advantage of that shortcut!
Cream cheese. The cream cheese lends the dip a rich, decadent undertone to this bean dip.
Salsa. If I'm not making my own homemade salsa, I prefer using the fresh, pureed kind from the produce section. But jarred salsa is fine, too. At any rate, salsa contributes a balance of acidity to such a creamy, decadent dip.
Taco Seasoning. This is a quick, easy way to add some spice to this dip! Again, either a homemade blend or store-bought packet (you won't use the whole thing) will work here.
Grated cheese. I used Pepper Jack, which lends heat and creaminess to this recipe. But you could opt for less spicy Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar, if you prefer.
Cilantro. This final ingredient adds freshness and Mexican flair.

How to Make Ultimate Bean Dip

This recipe is super easy and takes only 10 minutes from start to finish.

Melt and stir together the beans, cream cheese, and salsa until smooth and creamy.
Mix in your choice of grated cheese until melted.
Stir in a handful of fresh chopped cilantro.
Dig in immediately with tortilla chips aplenty! I'll often transfer my dip to a mini crockpot set on WARM to keep it heated through and gooey while everyone enjoys it.

I'm telling you, this stuff is game-watching bliss. It really is as scrumptious as it sounds!

Other Ways to Enjoy Bean Dip

You know what else it is? It's a last-minute homemade burrito stuffing when you get home late from after-school activities and didn't have a chance to prep anything for dinner yet. Because that's exactly what we had tonight! I just reheated a bowl of dip, spooned it down warm whole wheat flour tortillas, and rolled into burritos. It may have been a bit drippy as a burrito filling, but my kids loved it and there were NO complaints.

It also would have been just fine spooned onto a plate as a side dish to our favorite Mexican food fare.

So whether you need a party snack or a tailgating treat, Ultimate Bean Dip is sure to be a crowd pleaser! It's effortless to whip up, it's a one-pot recipe, and a single batch goes a long way. And have I mentioned creamy, cheesy deliciousness? I think I have, but it bears repeating. 😉 Enjoy, y'all, and happy Friday!

***I apologize for my late-night, brain-dead inability to work a natural segue into the post, but before I get to the recipe, I wanted to quickly let y'all know that next Wednesday, September 14th, I'm going to be on QVC with my cookbook!!! I will be a guest on "In the Kitchen with David" and, at this time, it looks like my segment will be on towards the end of the 8:00 p.m. hour. In the meantime, I welcome all prayers and/or positive thoughts that I am able to get through the experience without resorting to breathing into a paper bag -- ha. 😉 Thanks, as always, for your support, friends...♥ ***

You can see my QVC segment HERE!

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