Today I’m sharing the three easiest recipes for the tastiest tortilla chip dips. Football season has finally started and these are my favorite three recipes to snack on while watching the big game.📺🏈🥑🍅
Guacamole. Pico De Gallo. Queso Blanco. These three recipes are necessary for any big party. But especially a football party. Go brownies! 🏈
Tools Needed to Get You Dippin’
A shortlist of some of the essential kitchen tools needed to make these three tortilla chip dips:
♥ Potato masher OR Pastry cutter – just for the guac
♥ Heavy-bottomed sauce pot – just for the queso
Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo is a type of fresh uncooked salsa made with chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and sometimes chili or jalapeno peppers. I like to use one small jalapeno pepper for a little bit of heat but not too much. I like to enjoy my Pico de Gallo and not catch my mouth on fire.🔥 Because I am a garlic freak, I also like to add a little bit of freshly minced garlic for extra flavor.
Pico de gallo is very chunky, whereas salsa is more thin and liquidy and sometimes cooked.
I love the beautiful colors all mixed up together in the pico de gallo. Red tomatoes. Redish-purple onions. Green cilantro.
Pico de gallo is incredibly easy to make. All you really need is a cutting board, a sharp knife, and a mixing bowl. A lime juicer can also help.
Roma tomatoes make the best salsa! This is because of their low moisture content and fewer amount of seeds. To remove the seeds, simply quarter the tomatoes. Lay the tomatoes skin side down, and use a knife to cut out the seeds. From there, you can chop the tomatoes into smaller pieces and place them ur mixing bowl.
On to the onions! I like to use red onions in my salsas. They add beautiful purplish color to the dish and they offer a milder onion flavor. White onions are also great for salsas. They have a sharper onion flavor and provide a bolder flavored salsa.
If you want to add a touch of heat to your pico de gallo, you can add jalapeno pepper. I like to remove the seeds and white pith from the pepper as this is where most of the heat comes from. But leave it in if you want it hot!
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 8 Roma Tomatoes
- 2 small Red Onions
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Jalapeno
- 1 handful Cilantro
- 2 Limes
Instructions
- Dice the tomatoes and red onions. Add the minced garlic, and salt.
- Finely chop up a jalapeno pepper. Remove the seeds and white pith to rid of some of the heat.
- Roughly chop a large handful of cilantro.
- Squeeze in the juice of 2 limes. Mix to fully combine all ingredients.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve!
Guacamole
Avocados make the world go round! Guacamole is a dip that is all about the avo! Avocados are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Choose an avocado that is slightly soft and gives a little when given little pressure. Avocados that are ripe should be eaten within just a day or two as they can turn bad very quickly. If there are no ripe avocados in the store, a firm avocado will ripen in just a few days at room temperature if placed in a paper bag.
When the flesh of an avocado is exposed to oxygen browning will occur. To combat this reaction, simply sprinkle lemon or lime juice directly on the surface. This is why I use plenty of lime juice added during the preparation of my guacamole.
How to Peel an Avocado:
- With a large sharp knife cut into the avocado lengthwise all the way around the pit.
- Holding both sides of the cut avocado, twist until the two halves separate.
- Remove the pit. I find it easiest to tap the pit with the knife, then twist. This will pop the pit right out. Be careful when removing the pit from the knife.
- You can scoop the avocado out of the shell with a spoon, or cut the avocado into quarters and peel back the skin to separate it.
Place the avocado in a mixing bowl. Mash lightly with a potato masher, pastry blender, or a fork. Sprinkle with the juice of two limes. Mix in salt, chopped cilantro, and a small amount of pico de gallo.
I like my guacamole chunky. Therefore, I leave large chunks of avocado and I add in a little pico de gallo for the tomatoes and onions. If you like your guacamole smoother, you can leave out the pico de gallo and mash your avocado more smooth.
Guacamole
Ingredients
- 3 Avocados
- 2 Limes
- 1 tsp Salt
- small handful Cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup Pico de Gallo
Instructions
- Mash the avocados, leaving big chunks if you wish. Mix in the juice from 2 limes, salt, cilantro, and pico de gallo. Enjoy!
Queso Blanco – White Cheese Dip
Last, but definitely not least, the third recipe in this compilation of my three favorite tortilla chip dips. Queso Blanco.
The easiest and quickest way to make Queso Blanco is with Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese. It melts perfectly and is ready in no time at all!
First, cut the block of Velveeta into 1-inch cubes. Place in a heavy-bottomed saucepot along with salsa verde and half-and-half. Start with just 1/4 cup of half-and-half and add more as needed to thin the queso to the desired consistency (1/4 cup at a time).
Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave. You may need to add a little more milk or half-and-half to thin out the queso if necessary.
Easy Queso Blanco
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Velveeta Queso Blanco
- 1 cup Salsa Verde
- 1/4 -1/2 cup Half-and-Half
Instructions
- Cut the Velveeta into 1 inch cubes. Place in a heavy-bottom sauce pot along with 1 cup of the Salsa Verde. You can choose mild, medium, or hot based on how spicy you want your queso to be.
- Start with 1/4 cup of the half-and-half to thin the queso. Add more if necessary to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve immediately or keep on low heat with a lid to keep warm. Stir right before serving.
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