I am a sucker for a good egg roll. Snack, lunch, tailgating party, it doesn’t matter. I really, really love egg rolls. I’m also a big fan of cream cheese and black beans, which is why I just had to make my own twist on egg rolls for this year’s tailgating parties. That’s how cowboy egg rolls came to be… they’re filled with the tastiest ingredients, and they’re oh-so-simple to make.
I love a good side dish. You know, those sides that can take an average dinner of chicken breasts thrown on the George Foreman from good to, well, great. I like a side dish that is hearty, that helps stretch a meal (because come on, guys, you have to eat more than just meat, right?) and, most importantly, takes very little time, effort, and crazy ingredients to make. Luckily, this mushroom noodle bake has only 5 ingredients, takes just a few minutes to throw together before popping it in the oven, and pairs well with literally any meat dish. And hey, if you’re not a carnivore, it actually makes a pretty great vegetarian casserole option, too!
Oh soup… the perfect, most amazing comfort food. I am a huge fan of soup recipes, because it’s the perfect, warming food! I love soup SO much, I even have it for Christmas dinner. But seriously, sometimes I get in a soup rut, and I’m itching for some new recipes. And, with the help of some awesome bloggers from around the web, we’re going to get you out of a soup rut, too! (And hey, regardless of your dietary needs, there’s something in here for you– I’ve got meaty soups, vegan soups, Weight-Watchers friendly soups, dairy-free soups, gluten-free soups… so keep reading!)
We’ve all been to a party and tried the seven layer dip, right? That glorious pairing of all of our favorite Mexican delights, piled into layer upon layer of delicious goodness…. see, I have this theory that pretty much any Mexican dish can be made with the same eight ingredients, no matter what it is, in varying combinations each time.
But this… this transcends all of that. It’s just incredible.
The way I see it, there are two major pros to putting dips in individual cups instead of serving them out of a big dish.
1) There is zero crowding around the dip bowl. Everyone grabs a dip cup and heads to wherever they plan on mingling or watching the game or whatever else they’re doing with dip. No more elbowing your way in just to get half a chip into the dip.
2) No germy issues! Seriously, the last thing I want is to be sharing a dip with a bunch of people, only to see one of them do the dreaded double dip. Ick. I don’t know where their mouth has been, or in some cases, I do, and it’s not somewhere I want my mouth to go after dipping after them. But see, with an individual dip cup, you don’t have to worry about that. Everyone has their own cup, and can dip or double dip without affecting anyone but themselves.
Plus there is the added bonus that these look SO fancy, especially with the awesome clear plastic mini slanted tumblers from Party City. You get 10 for $3.99 which is super affordable for a party, and not only can they be tossed afterwards or handwashed and re-used, but they’re also recycleable! Not only that, but there are tons of other great Party City items perfect for serving these individual dips for different occasions. Aside from these, my clear favorite, I also love the mini martini glasses, the mini pedestal cups, the cocktail petite bowls, or the mini cubes (in the mini tasting party section of their website). All of the above are just perfect for serving these fun dips, and they’re all affordable!
I started the night before my party by mixing my favorite layer of these dips… the Tastefully Simple Fiesta Party Dip Mix! I love the flavor of these on their own, but as a part of this dip, you simply cannot ask for a better option. The dip is so easy to make– you just take a little bit of the dip mix, some mayonnaise, and some sour cream and mix them together in a bowl. The nice thing is, for the reasonable price, you can get a lot of dips out of this one container of Fiesta Party Dip Mix…. it’s $8.99 to make about 8 cups of the fiesta party dip, and you’re using less than a cup for 10 of these individual dips. I like to make this layer of the dip the night before so the flavors have time to really mesh together. This dip is definitely better on the second day!
The day of the party, I prepare my individual dips… I start with a layer of refried beans on the bottom. You don’t need much– a little less than a tablespoon worked for me. After that, spread on a layer of the fiesta dip you prepared in the first step of the dip. Again, I used a little less than a tablespoon. Use whatever you’d like to in order to make the layers look the way you’d like them to. On top of the fiesta dip, pour on a little bit of salsa. I used about a teaspoon of my favorite salsa in each one, Old El Paso. Yum.
Now for the pretty part– the garnish! I tore up some lettuce and laid it gently on top of the salsa so it would give my garnish a flat surface to rest on. I then piped on some sour cream using a star tip in an icing bag, and sprinkled on shredded Kraft cheese (I used a cheddar and pepper jack blend) and some chopped green onions.
Right before serving, top each dip cup with a pretty chip, and make sure you keep plenty of extra chips on hand for more dipping!
That’s it. So easy, and this is way more impressive (and sanitary!) than serving your seven layer dip in a regular dip bowl.
Note: You can absolutely copy these layers to serve in an ordinary dip bowl, by the way. There’s no law that says you have to serve it in individual cups. I just love it that way!