Baked Mexican Bean Dip

I mentioned on Monday that we I like to have "living room tailgates" on game day.  This involves the two of us watching our Wildcats or NFL teams, snacking and maybe enjoying an adult beverage.  If it's a big game, we may even have others over to tailgate in our living room too. {Ok, so we're eating, drinking and watching the game at home.  But when you say "tailgating" it just sounds like more fun, right?!}  I made one of our favorites on Sunday--Baked Mexican Bean and Taco Dips.

Baked Mexican Bean Dip

ingredients:

1 can refried beans

1 block of Cream Cheese

1/2 packet of Taco Seasoning

1 cup shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

serve with:

Tortilla Chips & Cold Taco Dip {below}

Preheat oven to 350.  In a microwave safe bowl, add refried beans and cream cheese.  Microwave in 30-40 second intervals, stirring until cream cheese has melted & combined with refried beans.  Stir in 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese.  Once combined, spread into a baking dish and top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until cheese has melted.

  

I almost always serve this along with scoops and cold "Taco Dip" which is: 1ish cups of Sour Cream & the other half packet of Taco Seasoning.  Stir well & refrigerate while Bean Dip is baking.  They go SO well together!


What's your favorite game day/tailgate recipe?!

World's Easiest Pumpkin Bread

Today, as I was procrastinating at the office making my list of things to pack for our Thanksgiving trip, I decided that I should bake something to take to O's sweet grandfather on Thursday.  In case you decide last minute to take a little something along to your Thanksgiving feast, try this: the world's easiest Pumpkin Bread.

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Bread

recipe adapted from my awesome co-worker, Mary and The Nesting Game

1 box yellow cake mix & 1 can of Pumpkin

That's it.  Those are the ingredients--all two of them.  I decided to get a little crazy and add in some vanilla and a few spices like Molly did over at The Nesting Game.

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. Ginger, 1/2 tsp. Allspice, 1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix it all up, and spread into a loaf pan {greased and floured} Don't be alarmed--this is a THICK batter.  Good use for your electric mixer...

If you're feeling really adventurous you can make a crumble topping:

1 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 3 tbsp. butter.  Mix with a fork until crumbly and sprinkle over the batter before popping your pan into the oven.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  While that bakes, finish up packing or cleaning orrrrr Pinterest-ing......what?

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Kentucky!  It was a cold, rainy night resulting in less than 15 trick-or-treater's, if not less.  For whatever reason, I didn't really get in the Halloween spirit until this week.  Very unlike me--I usually LOVE to decorate for all holidays.  The plus side to waiting until the last minute? 70% off at Michaels & super cheap pumpkins at Home Depot...  

I did, however, make a pretty festive Halloween Dinner: Chicken Tortilla Soup with Black Beans.  I was pumped that the colors in the soup were orange & black.  I'm thinking this may be a new Halloween tradition at the Parsons' Pad!

I will leave y'all with this picture of one sweet "trick-or-treater" from our house!