The Best Layered Taco Dip Recipe

The Best Layered Taco Dip Recipe

You know you hit the appetizer jackpot when you return home from a gathering with an empty dish once graced with layers of savory taco goodness.  

This quick and easy classic layered dip has been a crowd favorite at our get-togethers and potlucks for years. Loaded with refried beans, creamy guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, black olives, green onions, and cheese, it is our secret ingredients, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, that take this recipe from ordinary to extraordinary. It is no wonder why this recipe has earned the prestigious title "The Best Layered Taco Dip Recipe" from our friends and family. Since it is the "best," we would be amiss not to share it with you.

Whether it is a potluck or Game Day celebration, this dip will seriously score big with your gang!  It feeds a crowd, it can be made ahead, and it will definitely become your new favorite party appetizer!

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. can of refried beans

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning

• 8 oz. of your favorite guacamole (We tested this recipe with Wholly Guacamole)

• 12 oz. sour cream

• 2 heaping Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend

• 1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained

• 3 green onions, finely chopped

• 1 2.25 oz. can sliced black olives, drained

• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce (optional)

• 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (sometimes we use a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses)

• Tortilla chips (or substitute Frito Scoops for the tortilla chips)

Preparation  

In a small bowl, soften the refried beans in a microwave for about 20 seconds.  (This process makes the beans easier to spread).  Add the Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning to the refried beans and mix.  Spread the bean mixture in a shallow baking dish (For the pretty factor, use a glass baking dish to show off the different layers).  For the next layer, spread the guacamole over the refried beans.

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend and spread over the guacamole layer.  

If using lettuce (optional), sprinkle over the sour cream.  Next, sprinkle the tomatoes, followed by the cheese, green onions, and olives.  Finally, for a festive flair, sprinkle a small amount of Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend over the dip.

Refrigerate the taco dip for at least a couple of hours to overnight.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips (we used Frito Scoops this time) and watch this glorious layered dip disappear.  We dare you to try just one bite!

Or, mix things up for Halloween and create this creepy spider web. Expose the guacamole layer exposed, then add the cheese, olives, tomatoes an scallions around the edge. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips for a spooky effect and add a fake spider and you are all set for Halloween!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

Imagine the sweet aroma of freshly baked banana bread wafting through the air. It sounds heavenly, doesn't it? Is your mouth watering? Growing up, one of my favorite treats was my mom's banana bread, which was undoubtedly the best banana bread ever and has become a breakfast staple in our family.

This moist and flavorful banana bread recipe was given to my mom many years ago by a little old lady in Hawaii. My mom's original recipe called for shortening and a lot of sugar, which is probably why it was so decadent, though not practical by today's standards. I substituted butter for the shortening and used Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread in place of some of the sugar. Feeling adventurous, I also added chocolate chips. The real question was whether my version could compete with Mom's recipe. Only our discerning "master taster testers" (our kiddos) could reveal the truth.

Yes! My version passed with flying colors! It was moist and flavorful, just like "Grammy's," which was music to my ears! I usually triple this recipe because this decadent treat disappears almost instantaneously, and freezing extra loaves slightly extends its shelf life.

So, if you're looking for your new favorite banana bread recipe, put those overripe bananas to good use and make this tasty treat today! You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have used any of these hacks or if you have some to add. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup Cherchies Apple Butter Spread

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) baking soda

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) salt

• 2 cups flour

• 5 Tablespoons (Tbsp) *sour milk 

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) white vinegar

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.  

To make the *sour milk, add 5 Tablespoons of milk to a small bowl.  Add the white vinegar to the milk, stir and set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and Cherchies Apple Butter Spread together.  Then add eggs, baking soda, salt, flour and measure out 5 Tablespoons of the sour milk.  Discard the remaining sour milk.

Mash the bananas with a fork and add to the batter.  In a small bowl, mix the chocolate chips with 1 Tablespoon of flour.  This helps prevent the chips from sinking to the bottom.  Gently fold the floured chocolate chips into the banana bread batter.

For two loaves, divide the batter evenly into two greased (with cooking spray) loaf pans, or into one greased loaf pan for one loaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour or until done.   Enjoy!

Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread Recipe

Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread Recipe

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes  
Difficulty: Easy

Today's recipe is a copycat version of our family's beloved Philadelphia's Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread. It is chock full of vegetables and fresh herbs and is a fraction of the cost of the store-bought brand. I have to say, this recipe is pretty darn close to the original.

Bagels and cream cheese are a staple breakfast or afternoon snack in our home, especially bagels slathered with Philadelphia Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese, our family's favorite. Unfortunately, the small tubs found in grocery stores do not last long in a home with young adults and their friends, all with voracious appetites. Anyone with teenagers or young adults can attest to how quickly food disappears. Yeesh!

Re-creating recipes at home is my thing, so I took a stab at re-creating my family's beloved veggie cream cheese spread because I could make larger quantities and control the ingredients. It took a couple of tries experimenting with the ingredients (apparently, cucumber was a no-no), but according to our "Master Taster Tester," as my son calls himself, this recipe got a thumbs up!

With just a few ingredients and a few minutes of chopping and mixing, the result was a creamy, dreamy, savory spread, the perfect addition to bagels, crackers, sandwiches, and more! This recipe is so tasty and economical that you may never use the store tubs again!  

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this tasty recipe. Return again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 3 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 whole green pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

• 1/2 whole red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

• 1/2 whole yellow pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

• 6 whole green onions, sliced

• 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1 stalk of celery, coarsely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon (Tbsp) coarsely chopped chives (more to taste)

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning (more to taste)

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning (more to taste)

*Feel free to add or subtract any veggies or herbs to your liking.

Preparation
Coarsely chop the peppers, the onions, carrot, celery, and herbs.  Add all the ingredients, except the cream cheese, to a food processor and pulse until desired consistency.  My family prefers chunks of vegetables in their veggie cream cheese spread, but you are welcome to pulse until really fine. Scoop out the vegetable mixture from the food processor and place into a bowl. Set aside.  

*Note:  if you do not have a food processor, don't fret, this recipe can easily be made by finely chopping up all the ingredients and adding to the softened cream cheese.

Combine the cream cheese in the food processor until smooth.   Remove the cream cheese from the food processor and add to the vegetables.  Mix to combine.  Refrigerate the mixture for at least a half hour to marry the flavors.

Spread this heavenly mixture on just about anything, bagels, crackers, sandwiches, wraps, or use as a dip.  Enjoy!

Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread Recipe

Tuna Pinwheel Recipe

My mom used to make these all the time when my sister and I were growing up.  This recipe was from an old Betty Crocker cookbook (remember those?)  She would bring these pinwheels to our neighborhood parties, and they disappeared quickly. It's funny how tuna salad, presented in these tasty buttery bites, could be addictive.  Of course, I took mom's recipe and tweaked it with a hint of Cherchies® Champagne Mustard and some with our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard.

The true test was trying them on our children, our favorite "taster-testers" (their word for themselves as they were growing up).  They have come a long way in trying new things over the years, but tuna is not their favorite. I made these delicious morsels just in time for their after-school snack.   To my delight, they loved them; they were devoured in minutes, even the ones I brushed with our spicier Hot Banana Pepper Mustard!! 

This recipe would make the perfect tasty appetizer or afternoon snack, but save some for yourself because they will disappear quickly. 

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this tasty recipe. Return for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients 

• 1 can (6 1/2 oz.) white tuna, drained and flaked

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery

• 1 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) sweet pickle relish, drained

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) dry mustard

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (or for a spicier palate, try our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard

• 20 slices square sandwich bread, crusts removed

• 4 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) melted butter

• Paprika

Preparation   
Carefully remove the crusts from the bread with a knife.  In a medium bowl, combine the tuna with the remaining 5 ingredients.  

For easy clean-up, place a sheet of parchment paper over a baking sheet.  Line the slices of bread on the baking sheet.  Thinly brush each slice of bread with half of the melted butter, reserving the other half.  Spread each slice with tuna salad.  (This time, I spread a few slices with our Hot Banana Pepper Mustard to see how they would turn out).

Roll each slice like a jelly roll and place three toothpicks into the bread to secure. Slice each tuna roll into 3 pinwheels.  

When ready to serve, brush the pinwheels with the remaining melted butter, sprinkle lightly with paprika, and broil the pinwheels until lightly toasted.  Makes about 60 pinwheels.

Remove these delicious morsels from the oven and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

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