Cinco de Mayo is just a few days away, so if you are having a party or just making a festive dinner for your family, I have one more recipe for your fiesta! When I was little, my favorite thing to get at Taco Bell was the .59 bowl of Pintos & Cheese {no red sauce, thank you!}. They probably aren’t .59 any more, but I still love the combo of creamy beans and melty cheese! So, I decided to make a bubbly, creamy bean dip with cream cheese, Rotel, lots of spices and top the whole dish with crumbly cotija cheese!

Creamy Bean Dip

The awesome folks at Food Should Taste Good sent me a box of their chips – you may have seen it on Instagram – and I was so excited that you all share my love of their gluten free chips with wholesome, non-GMO ingredients. {The blue corn! The sweet potato! The jalapeño!} The Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips are my absolute favorite! They are delicious with hummus, salsa and of course, this warm, cheesy creamy bean dip!

Creamy Bean Dip

Description

Creamy Bean Dip is an easy appetizer that is perfect for Cinco de Mayo! Beans, cream cheese, spices and cheddar cheese are baked until bubbly, then topped with crumbled cotija cheese!

Scale

Ingredients

1 can refried beans
1 small can Rotel (drained (mild or hot to taste))
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*.
In a bowl, stir together all ingredients except cotija cheese.
Spread the bean mixture in an 8×8 baking dish.
Bake until bean dip is bubbly and hot – 30-35 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with crumbed cotija cheese.

Notes

Spices can be replaced with a packet of your favorite taco seasoning.
Cotija cheese is a Mexican crumbling cheese similar to feta. If you cannot find cotija cheese, you can use additional cheddar cheese or quesadilla cheese.

This is definitely not your basic bean dip! The spices, big bursts of flavor from the tomatoes and chilies, melty strings of cheddar cheese and that slightly salty cotija cheese all come together for a big ol’ fiesta in your mouth! And the warm creamy bean dip is the best partner in crime for crunchy, crispy chips!

If a dip isn’t really your style, you could roll the flavorful bean mixture inside tortillas for a big pan of bean and cheese enchiladas! Or use it for Mexican pizzas, quesadillas or taco salads!