If you've invited your friends or are throwing a party, you could make a delicious creamy cheese nachos dip. Quick and easy to prepare, it will help you make a good impression on your guests. To make it you need very few ingredients, less than half an hour and a wolfish hunger!
Ingrediants
- 1 pack of normal spreadable cheese
- 1-2 cups sour cream (depending on desired texture and flavor)
- 1 sachet of taco seasoning
- 1 can of Mexican tomato sauce
- 1-2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- 1 large ripe tomato (optional)
- 1 large white onion (optional)
- 1 large green pepper (optional)
- Tortilla chips
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Base
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
To get started, get everything you need to make the sauce. Being simple, you only need 1 packet of cream cheese, 1-2 cups of sour cream, 1 jar of Mexican tomato sauce, about 1 cup of fresh cheese cut into strips, 1 large tomato, 1 onion and 1 green pepper (these the last 3 ingredients are optional).
To prepare a large portion, just double the doses of the main ingredients
Step 2. Allow the spreadable cheese to soften at room temperature
This will make it easier to work with and mix with the sour cream, which has a more diluted consistency. If any liquid separates from the cheese, drain and discard.
Many recipes invite you to leave the spreadable cheese out of the refrigerator overnight in order to soften it, but this process can be speeded up substantially by first cutting the cheese into cubes
Step 3. Mix the cheese and sour cream
In a large bowl, mix the entire cream cheese package with 1 cup of sour cream. Mix the ingredients well using an electric mixer or spatula. Continue to mix until you get a homogeneous consistency. The amalgam of cheese and sour cream creates the creamy base of the sauce.
- Start by using 1 cup of sour cream. If the mixture is too thick and you can't mix it easily, add another cup of sour cream. Remember that the sauce will thicken in the refrigerator.
- If you mix the cheese and sour cream by hand, make circular movements with the spatula to "fold" the mixture back on itself.
Step 4. Add the taco dressing
Take a sachet of taco dressing and pour it into the cream cheese and sour cream mixture. Stir again to mix the ingredients well.
As an alternative to taco seasoning, you can use chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and / or cumin
Part 2 of 3: Mix the remaining ingredients
Step 1. Pour the tomato sauce over the base cream
Open a jar of Mexican tomato sauce and begin gradually adding it to the base. Use as much as you like and mix until you get a light pink blend. Make sure you don't pour too much in one go, as it can overwhelm the consistency of the gravy, making it less creamy.
- To keep the sauce from becoming watery, prefer a thick sauce rather than diluted (such as pico de gallo).
- To be on the safe side, opt for a mild sauce. If you want to make a spicy sauce, you can add fresh pepper and other seasonings later, so you can dose them with more control.
Step 2. Layer the cheese cut into strips
Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheese on top of the cream cheese dip, sour cream, and Mexican tomato sauce. Cover the whole dish so the cheese is evenly distributed over the sauce. If you wish, add larger quantities.
The strong notes of intensely flavored cheeses such as cheddar and Monterey Jack will stand out within the sauce
Step 3. Incorporate the diced vegetables
Take the diced tomato, onion, and green pepper to add to the sauce. Mix all the ingredients to get them distributed well in the mixture: in theory, a tablespoon of sauce should contain small doses of all the ingredients you used to prepare it.
Do you want to enrich the sauce with other ingredients? Try using minced garlic, black beans, or Anaheim or poblano chili
Step 4. Let it cool for an hour
After mixing the ingredients, put the bowl in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to complete the preparation of the sauce. The cream cheese and sour cream blend will thicken, plus the flavors of the taco dressing, cheese, and veggies will have plenty of time to blend. Once 60 minutes have passed or it's time to serve the salsa, remove it from the fridge, pour it into a bowl and spread some tortilla chips around it. At this point, bring it to the table.
Leave it in the refrigerator until it's time to serve it to guests
Part 3 of 3: Experimenting with Other Variants
Step 1. Try it with chili
To make a more full-bodied and flavorful sauce, pour 1 or 2 cans of chili into the mixture immediately after adding the tomato sauce. The chili gives an intense and robust taste, it also makes the sauce have a greater satiating power. This variant can also be served as a main dish.
If you think canned chili isn't substantial enough for your taste, cook some lean ground beef and use it to top the sauce
Step 2. Add sliced jalapeños
If you want to spice it up, stir in slices of fresh or pickled jalapeño, or make a separate sauce for the spicy aficionados. This type of chilli goes well with the other ingredients used to make the sauce. The spicy notes are pleasantly softened by the freshness and creaminess of the spreadable cheese.
If you plan on using fresh jalapeños for cooking, first remove as much of the seeds as possible, as this is the hottest part. Your goal should be to add pungent yet palatable notes
Step 3. Use diced tomatoes and green chili
It's an easy recipe to make - just wash and dice some tomatoes and green chilli. Aim for 1 or 2 cups, then incorporate them into the creamy sauce. These ingredients are perfect for dishes and sauces inspired by Mexican and Southwestern US cuisine. You can also mix them with other vegetables and greens, such as green peppers and fresh onions.
Before incorporating the diced tomatoes, drain the excess liquid
Step 4. Serve the sauce hot
Although most creamy cheese-based sauces are cold, you can change the preparation process to get a warm, equally good and even creamier dip. In this case, the cream cheese and sour cream mixture must be heated over low heat, gradually adding the other ingredients. Before mixing it with the other ingredients, cut the cream cheese into cubes. Then, place the sauce in a baking dish and put it in the oven at a low temperature to prevent the cheese from burning or clumping. When ready to serve, sprinkle a handful of cheese cut into strips on the surface and let it melt to make it even tastier.
- Spreadable cheese is great for making rich, creamy sauces and dips, but it needs to be cooked right. Let it soften at room temperature first, then let it gradually melt over low heat. If it feels like it's curdling or thickening, add some milk.
- Soft cheeses that melt easily are particularly suitable for hot sauces.
Step 5. Enjoy your meal
Advice
- Fresh cheese cut into strips is much tastier and improves the consistency of the sauce, but the wrapped one helps speed up and facilitate preparation.
- The spreadable cheese and sour cream can be replaced with the respective light versions in case you have guests who care about their line.
- Choose tortilla chips that are sturdy enough that they can be dipped in the sauce without breaking.
Warnings
- Don't leave the cream cheese at room temperature for too long, or it can go bad.
- Seasonings and spices should always be added according to your preferences. Try to proceed with caution: if you use too much, you will not be able to fix it.
