I’m realizing the best meal ideas are the ones passed down through generations. Maybe it’s because there’s so much history and love that goes in with the other ingredients that make it all taste so good. I visited my sister Drea and experienced the beauty of her girlfriend’s cooking. Tasha, my sister’s girlfriend, says she can’t cook, but I think it’s more that she doesn’t know many recipes. Every time she does make something, it’s delicious.
Apparently, Pizza Dip is a dish Tasha’s dad used to make for her all the time. It is one of the handful of things she can create without a struggle or a cookbook. She made this green bean casserole (a family tradition) for Thanksgiving last year that I regret not having gotten the instructions for. But this time I was smarter. When she made me Pizza Dip, a dish that I didn’t want to stop eating, I made sure I could duplicate it.
This one is good for a meal (but make sure you’ve got a salad or some greens on the side for a balanced one) or a game-time sort of snack.
Pizza Dip
1 lb. ground hamburger
8 oz. Cream Cheese
2 cups shredded cheese
Small jar Mild Picante Sauce
Chopped Scallions/Chives
Brown the hamburger all the way through. While it’s cooking in the pan, Keep the Picante sauce and the cheese near the heat so that they’ll be warm when you add them. Smear the base of another pan evenly with all 8 ounces of the cream cheese. Coat that with a layer of the Picante sauce. When the hamburger is browned, put it on top of the sauce and sprinkle the cheese generously across the meat. For garnish, add the chives/scallions. Then, dig in with a bag full of Tostitos or crackers (or Pringles, as my sister uses) and enjoy. Use breakfast sausage instead of hamburger for a different kind of flavor, or Turkey for a healthier choice.
I could Not get enough, though I don’t know if “Pizza Dip” is as accurate a name as, say, Taco Dip. But since I didn’t come up with it, I’ll leave the name intact, and just keep eating it.
Harmony Brush is a current Lesley University graduate student living in Rochester, NY. She loves people and writing.
Image by: ilker, SXC