You can take the girl out of the Midwest, but you can’t take the Midwest out of the girl.
There are some recipes that I never get out of my system. They aren’t fancy or unique. In fact, they’re simple and solid. But I made them when I was young, growing up in Iowa, and they traveled with me to the Pacific Northwest.
This is one of those easy, tasty, handed-down-by-a-great-aunt recipes that always pops up at family reunions with kids and dogs running circles in the hazy heat while the older folks sit at shade-protected picnic tables and fan themselves.
Layered bean dip
16-ounce can refried beans
1 can bean dip
16-ounce container sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 jar Pace chunky salsa
1-2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
For the first layer, combine refried beans and bean dip, then smooth along the bottom of a 9X13 pan.
Next, stir together sour cream and mayonnaise, and carefully smooth out atop beans.
Top with salsa and finish with shredded cheddar. One important tip: please, please don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It’s never going to taste nearly as good (or feel so nice to your wallet) as a large chunk of cheddar that you shred yourself.
Think of it as a mini-workout before you dig in with a bowlful of tortilla chips and devour this family-friendly comfort food.
