Chipotle and Cheese Bean Dip

🥄 Ingredients

• 1 can whole pinto beans (20 oz.)
• 1/2 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 chipotles in adobo
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water (or stock)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 bag tortilla chips
• diced tomato ((optional))
• cilantro ((optional))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Roughly chop 1/2 an onion and peel 3 garlic cloves.  Saute the onion and whole garlic cloves in a dollop of oil over medium heat. Cook until the onion is just starting to brown, 5-7 minutes.

2. 2

   Drain and rinse 1 can of pinto beans. 

3. 3

   Add beans to the onion mixture, along with 3 chipotles in adobo, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 cup of water.  Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple minutes.

4. 4

   Add mixture to a blender or food processor and combine well. 

5. 5

   Add bean puree to an oven-safe baking dish, along with 4 oz. cream cheese, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and 1/2 cup salsa.

6. 6

   Bake in the oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes.  Halfway through the baking period give the dip a good stir as all the cheese will be melted by then.

7. 7

   After baking, take a final taste for seasoning as beans are hypersensitive to salt level.  I added another 1/4 teaspoon of salt before serving. 

8. 8

   If you want a final layer of cheese, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for an additional 30-60 seconds.

9. 9

   Optional garnishes includes diced tomatoes and finely chopped cilantro.

10. 10

    Serve immediately with tortilla chips and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 

📊 Nutrition (per serving)

Nutritional values are estimates from the original source.