Recipe Swap: Taco Dip

Football season is upon us. Sadly, the only sport I actually enjoy watching is hockey and they are still on lockout (BOO). And to be honest, when it comes to watching sporting events, my favorite event is the epic eating fest of foods that are just far too bad for you. When else is it considered acceptable to park yourself in front of a tv and eat tons of greasy chips, dips, and other unhealthy yet awesome foods?

This recipe swap theme was Game Day and I submitted the Outback copycat Blooming Onion with Dipping Sauce recipe. I received a traditional Taco Dip from Nicole at Cookies on Friday. It's a recipe of unknown origins that has been handed down through the family.

Though I've eaten taco dips many times before, I've never made one.  Since there was no game for me to watch, after having a few generously dipped chips and staying true to the recipe, I ended up turning this into a taco salad dinner. Somehow this made me feel like it was an acceptable meal but I still ate far to much of it. It's like crack. So creamy and addicting even with fat-free and low-fat substitutions!  It's also amazingly simple to put together.  Yum.

Checkout the rest of the swap submissions in the blog hop below and thanks as usual to Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for hosting!

One Year Ago: Cheesy Chili Mac
Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Taco Dip

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey 
• 1 package taco seasoning (I used a low-sodium version)
• 15 ounce can refried beans (I used a fat-free version)
• 1-1/2 cups sour cream (I used a low-fat version)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese 
• Toppings: Sliced olives, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, red onions, jalapeno peppers
• Tortilla Chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have a large pie plate ready.
2. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef over medium high heat. Drain the meat and add the taco seasoning as the package directs. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Spread the refried beans in the pie plate. Top with the ground beef. Top with a layer of sour cream and then with the cheese.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are heated through. Top with desired toppings before serving. 

Source: Submitted by Nicole at Cookies on Friday