Never Any Leftovers Taco Dip

This is not a tortilla chip. It is a Frito. It really should be a Frito Scoop, but the store was out of them while I was shopping so regular Fritos won out. Covering that chip is a creation of mine that I'm not allowed to make for just us anymore. Yes, it's been banned from our family party fare.

It all started many years ago at a picnic Hubby and I attended. One of the guests brought a taco dip that was ok but not great. It was somewhat dry and needed a good punch. So, once we got home I made it my goal to rebuild the dip; and I did.

The final version, which you see here, took a few tries, but now that we've got it, we've discovered that it's an evil force. It's impossible to set this dip out and have leftovers. It beckons. It calls. It demands. We've made ourselves sick on it and have declared "no more." Now we only make it when guests come (or when we think they might come) or when we're taking it somewhere (or might be taking it somewhere). Yes, sometimes we fudge and make it just for us but try to find some good excuse for having done so.

Here's the thing. this is really simple to make yet everyone loves it. In fact, Hubby took it to a Divisional Championship party (the one in which my Bears lost) and brought back a dish that was scraped so clean I almost didn't have to wash it. It's that good.

It consists of three layers. The first is the refried bean layer. The second is the meat layer and the third is the cheese layers. When it's all  laid out in the serving dish and cooked, it ends up looking like this.

Looks downright edible, doesn't it. Unfortunately, there's really no way to cut out the huge amount of calories and fat in this bad boy, which is another reason it's banned from our house unless we come up with a very good excuse to make it, like if it might snow. Maybe.  Every time I take this somewhere I'm asked how to make it but I have resisted giving out the recipe because it's so easy. But, since the Super Bowl is upon us and the Steelers are going to kick Packer butt, I'm sharing this with you. Make it, enjoy it and cheer for Pittsburgh; ok? If you don't plan on doing so, please make something else, like cheese curds.

Taco Dip

1 can refried beans
1 can green chilies
1 pound lean ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 jar salsa con queso (I use Tostitos brand)
1 jar taco sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the refried beans and green chilies in the bottom of a shallow serving dish and spread to cover the bottom.

In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium-high heat. Drain and remove from heat. Add taco seasoning and stir to combine. Pour the beef over the refried bean mixture and spread to make an even layer.

Pour the salsa con queso over the meat, spreading to cover. Pour the taco sauce over the cheese.

Bake in the 350 oven for 30 minutes or until the dip is bubbling.

Serve with Frito Scoops. (Really, use them. Regular tortilla chips aren't strong enough to scoop up the bottom of this wonderful dip.)