Ladies and Beans...Now That's Lethal

Dinner parties, frat parties, costume parties... none are as terrific as the good ole Ladies' Night. No, I am not referring to false lashes and glitter, with mile high heels and secret short mini skirts. I'm talking about girls, food, wine...maybe even sweat pants. And just last night, I fashioned a Ladies Night of my own.

About a week ago, I decided to have the girls over for some well needed food and vino time. Originally, other than wanting to hang out with some spectacular gal pals, I wanted to cook a massive amount of food and bake a ridiculous dark-chocolate-salty-caramel 6 layer cake. As can almost be expected, the latter did not happen; and other than cooking the BEST BEAN DIP, placing assorted cheeses, crackers, and veggies on the table, there was no cooking. A poorly planned morning off, combined with time consuming blogging, left no fudge room (mmm, fudge), for lavish home cooked delicacies.

The true master piece of the evening, besides the purchased $3.99 white wine, was the Bean Dip. I've made this for years, and almost every time, I alter the ingredients a tad. Previously, there have been whole garlic cloves embedded deep within the concoction. On other occasions, I have assembled a freshly grated cheese medley complete with chopped fresh jalapeños and onions. It was last night however, that the Dip took a turn for the best. A secret ingredient that I have previously professed my love for was introduced into the mix. I was not raised to be stingy, therefore, I am going to share this recipe with the blog world.

It should be noted that this dish is not very healthy, hence making it delicious!

Best Bean Dip.

You will need:
-2 cans 14.5 oz ea. re fried beans. (I used spicy jalapeño beans)
-1 can 14.5 oz black beans. (drained)
- ~ 2 c grated cheese, preferably Mexican blend
- 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped, minced, whole, what ever you like. (I like minced)
- ~ 10 jalapeño slices from the jar. Make sure they are pickled and spicy. (chop those suckers up)
-16 oz sour cream
-1 1/2 c salsa (your choice, I like NM's Sadies Salsa, HOT)
-Hidden Valley Original Ranch Packet (weapon of mass destruction)
-cilantro (mostly for pretty)
- baking dish, 9x9

What you do:
-pre heat oven to 350 degrees
-in baking dish, mix beans, chopped garlic, jalapeños, some cheese, and any other seasoning you want.
-in sour cream container, add Ranch Packet and mix well. (This is the newest invention. In the past, I have just used plain old sour cream, yet the ranch flavor adds a pizazz that my taste buds could barley handle.)
-spread a layer of the ranch cream on top of the beans, approx 3/4 to 1/2 cup. (reserve the rest for EVERYTHING else in your life that requires dip.)
-on top of cream, spread your layer of salsa
-top with cheese, enough to fully cover the surface, and bake for 20 mins, or until cheese bubbles.
-remove from oven, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve warm.

There is definitely room for add- ins... black olives, onions, soul seasoning, green chili, the works. I happen to have some very lovely, but very picky friends- indeed sticking to the basics was paramount. And when your friends leave you with too much left over dip, put it in a tortilla the next day and burrito-it-up. For a high protein breakfast (I think), warm a spoonful of dip stove-top and add an egg. Get creative. Be warned again, the dip, though could be made from scratch with crock pot beans, fresh and organic veggies, and local cheese, is not healthy. Using canned beans and jarred jalapeños mixed with full fat ranch sour cream is not calorie cutting. But anything with that much sodium and love always tastes scrumptious.

So ladies, thank you for allowing me to cook/prepare food for you. A joyous night of eating laughing, and reminiscing was so enjoyed.

And ladies, apologize to your men, for beans have a mean idea of revenge!!!!