BEEsy in the Kitchen: Fiesta Dip

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.

~Erma Bombeck~

Twelve years ago, my husband and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. And as an initiation into domestic life, we hosted our first holiday together. Both my parents and his joined us at our house for the gathering. Quite honestly, I don't remember much about the food prepared that day. I can't recall if we served a turkey or a ham. I'm not sure what type of stuffing or cranberry sauce we made. But I recollect one item on the menu--Fiesta Dip. Days before the holiday, I perused my small collection of cookbooks and discovered this recipe. The recipe looked easy and tasty, so I decided to add it to the menu. All of my family loved it, especially the men.

So for every Thanksgiving and Christmas, my dad, brother, or husband make a special request for this dip. I hope this becomes a favorite for your family, too!

Stop by tomorrow for a favorite sweet potato casserole recipe.

Fiesta Dip
From Betty Crocker's New Choices Cookbook

2 cups chopped tomato (about 2 large tomatoes)
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 (8 oz) package of light cream cheese
8 oz. Muenster cheese, cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Cook all ingredients except cilantro in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until cheese melts and mixture is creamy. Stir in cilantro. Serve warm or cold with tortilla chips. Makes 4 cups.

Note: The original recipe called for low-fat Muenster cheese, but I usually cannot locate the low-fat version in my grocery stores. So I use the full-fat version. More fat and calories, but oh-so-delicious! :-)