Southwestern Lucky Dip

This dip is on a hot streak straight out of the oven! Southwestern Lucky Dip is creamy, spicy, and zesty, and has got all the good stuff you want from a Southwestern snack! Fresh tomatoes, fragrant cilantro, hearty beans, and plenty (and we do mean plenty) of melty cheese. Smile! It’s the Southwestern Lucky Dip! Fortune favors the bold and the boldly flavored!

Ingredients

For the dip:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans or black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, divided
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup ham, diced
• 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
• tortilla chips, for serving

For the optional tomato topping:

• 2 fresh tomatoes (about 4 ounces each), chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh jalapeño, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2 –Light grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Step 3 –In a food processor, add the cream cheese, 1 cup of the beans, 1/2 tablespoon of the lime juice, the hot sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and process until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.

Step 4 –Place the cream cheese mixture in a large bowl.

Step 5 –Add the remaining beans, the diced ham, the scallions, the roasted red peppers, and 1/2 of the Monterey Jack cheese to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Step 6 –Spread the dip mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Step 7 –Sprinkle the top of the dip with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese.

Step 8 –Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 9 –Remove the foil and bake the dip until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 10 –Let the dip stand for 10 minutes.

Step 11 –In a small bowl, add the tomatoes, the cilantro, the olive oil, the jalapeño, the remaining lime juice, and the remaining salt and stir to combine.

Step 12 –Using a slotted spoon, top the dip with the tomato mixture.

Step 13 –Serve the dip with the tortilla chips.