Dip, Dip, Sha-na-na-na-na-na…

I’m really not much of a recipe swapper or foodie or fancy food maker. I know, you figured me for someone who makes elaborate meals, didn’t you? Well, nope. Not so much. But ’tis the season for warm comfort foods as well as dips and other goodies that must be presented at parties, etc. And that is a bummer when you have other things to do… like write!

So, without further ado, I present two yummy, healthy, and filling warm dips that I discovered this week and will please your palate and make you look like a super-star!

Black Bean Dip

Ingredients: 1 can of refried black beans (or whole black beans), 1 cup of salsa, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9×9 inch pan layer in the beans, then the salsa, and then the cheese.

Pop that baby in the oven for about 15 minutes (until middle is warm and cheese is melted). Voila! You have dip.

* You can change the amount of each ingredients you use. For example, use more cheese for a cheesier dip, or try other cheeses, use more beans, more salsa, etc.

Hot and Scrumptious Spinach Dip

Ingredients: Spinach (either one package of frozen or a big bundle of fresh), 1/2 cup to 1 cup cream cheese (you can use light cream cheese if that is your preference), garlic (about two cloves worth–for convenience, look for crushed garlic in a jar–so easy and just as good!), salt.

Cook the spinach in a bit of water along with your garlic on the stove. Drain really well. Cut it up if you are using fresh spinach. Place spinach back in the pot along with cream cheese. If you are using a package of frozen spinach, use 1 cup (8oz?) of cream cheese. If you are using fresh, add cream cheese until it looks like you have about half cream cheese and half spinach. Over low heat, mix and stir the cream cheese and spinach. Add salt to taste. (Just a sprinkle works well.) When warmed all the way through, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Dippers

What to dip into these yummy dips?

Crackers, nacho chips, pitas (either fresh or baked. To bake, cut or tear into small pieces and lay on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes, until hard and just starting to brown. You can do this with wraps as well. Handy for when they’ve been sitting in the fridge for too long and have gone a bit stiff!)

Yum, yum, yum. And what I love about these dips, other than they are so simple and quick (and yummy) is that all the ingredients are ‘real.’ Enjoy!