I Tried the Famous “Texas Trash Dip”
I may be a born and bred New England girl, but honestly? Texas knows how to create a recipe. Between their meaty bowls of chili to their taste in pie and other delicious desserts, the good people of the Lone Star State know what it means to eat. Needless to say, when I come across any recipe that has Texas in the name — especially something as outlandish as “Texas Trash” like this pie — I have to give it a try.
Despite Texans insistence on not adding beans to their chili, their dips seem to be a different story. Texas Trash Dip (also known as Mexican Bean Dip) is a cheesy refried bean-based dip perfect for any large gathering, like watching the big game. While there are plenty of renditions of this popular recipe online, I decided to use one from the blogger Foodie Crush.
So grab your bag of tortilla chips, and let’s give this trashy dip a try.
Get the recipe: Cheesy Texas Trash Dip
How to Make “Texas Trash Dip”
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 package of cream cheese (8 tablespoons) and 1 cup of sour cream on high for one minute.
Mix in 2 (16-ounce) cans of refried beans, a 7-ounce can of chopped green chiles, 1 package of taco seasoning mix, and 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese.
Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Spread the bean mixture into the pan, then sprinkle the top with 2 more cups of shredded Mexican cheese.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then garnish however you would like! Sliced black olives, green onions, dollops of sour cream… it all works.
My Honest Review
This is the kind of dip you could just mindlessly eat and not realize how much you’ve consumed, because it’s that good. It’s creamy, cheesy, salty, zesty; basically everything you want from a Mexican bean dip.
If I’m being honest, though, I do feel like this dip could have used a little more spice. Doubling the amount of seasoning I think would have really added to the flavor of this dish, as well as the number of green chiles. I also think adding spicy peppers or even a hot sauce could help.
All in all, I would say this is a bean dip I would absolutely make again. I like it way more than a classic seven-layer dip (given that it’s warm and not cold), but you can still add all kinds of cold toppings to give it that little extra oomph of flavor — like fresh salsa or avocado.
4 Tips for Making “Texas Trash Dip”
Cut the recipe in half. If you’re not making dip for a crowd, you can easily cut this recipe in half. However, to keep things simple, you could just use the same amount of seasoning (one packet) for a half recipe. It adds more flavor, and who could say no to that?
Get spicy. Why not add a little spice to this dip? Sliced jalapeños or a few dollops of hot sauce in your mixture could give this dip a little kick. Plus, with all of that cheese, the spice will balance out nicely and won’t set your mouth on fire.
Top with guacamole or salsa. While Foodie Crush tops the recipe with sour cream, black olives, and green onions, I think guacamole could also work well here — or even some simple slices of avocado. The cheese and beans would also pair well with a fresh salsa, so why not add that on top as well?
Freeze it for later. Don’t plan on eating all of that bean dip now? You can easily freeze it for later. Wrap up the bean dip tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. When you’re ready to eat it, let the dip defrost in the fridge for a day before baking.
Get the recipe: Cheesy Texas Trash Dip
