Cheesy Refried Bean Dip

Description:

Creamy, cheesy and loaded with Tex-Mex flavour, this warm refried bean dip is packed with pickled jalapeños, green chillies and The Feedlot Mexicue. Make it with refried beans or blend a batch of our Borracho ‘Drunken’ Beans until silky smooth, then finish with fresh avocado, spring onions and coriander. Perfect for sharing with corn chips.

Ingredients:

• 500 g refried beans, or 500 g of our Borracho ‘Drunken’ Beans (drained, with the ham hock bones removed, then blended until creamy and smooth)
• 67g cream cheese, softened
• 110g sour cream
• 140g grated mature cheddar (100 g mixed in, 40 g for the top)
• 2½ tbsp thick, chunky salsa
• 1 tbsp The Feedlot Mexicue, or to taste
• 2½ tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeños
• 1 tbsp pickled jalapeño brine

Fresh toppings:

• 1 avocado, diced
• Juice of ½ lime
• 2–3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2–3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1–2 tbsp sliced pickled jalapeños
• Diced tomato, optional
• Corn chips, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.
2. If using our Borracho ‘Drunken’ Beans, remove any bones and firm pieces of ham hock, drain off most of the liquid, then blend the beans until creamy and smooth. Add a spoonful of cooking liquid if needed to help them blend. Measure out 500 g of the smooth bean mixture.
3. In a large bowl, combine the beans, softened cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, Mexicue, chopped pickled jalapeños, jalapeño brine and green chillies. Mix well.
4. Fold in 100 g of the cheddar. Spread into a shallow ovenproof dish and sprinkle the remaining 40 g cheddar over the top.
5. Bake for 20–30 minutes, until heated through and bubbling at the edges.
6. Rest for 5 minutes. Toss the avocado with lime juice, then add the avocado, spring onions, coriander, sliced jalapeños and optional tomato on top just before serving.
7. Serve warm with corn chips.

Hot Tip:

Make the cheesy bean base up to a day ahead and refrigerate, covered. Bake until piping hot throughout, allowing extra time if baking straight from the fridge. Keep all the avocado, spring onions and coriander fresh and add them only after baking. Another alternative is topping with sour cream and/or additional jalapeños.  Also don't forget your can find the history of refried beans on our Beyond The Flame blog!