Chili Relleno Dip

We are creatures of habit. Every Mexican restaurant between Colorado and North Carolina has been the same, by way of ordering I mean…. like so:

Hubbyman: Steak Fajitas – The Kid: Taco Salad Bowl – Me: Chili Rellenos

It never changes, even when I say…. I WILL have something new, I will I will I will!!

I don’t.

So instead of making a huge mess in my kitchen, and I know I would have, I made this awesome dip instead of stuffing chili after chili ….. its good and it takes all of 30 minutes to make, bake and serve.

You will need:

1 block of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp each ground cumin and dried cilantro
7 ounce can of green chilis ( Walmart® has the bigger can)
1/4 to 1/2 cup green salsa verde
3 cups shredded cheese DIVIDED ( Mexican blend or anything you like really, I use a combo of white cheddar and mozzarella )

Garnish: Fresh Cilantro

The How-to:

Preheat oven to 350.

With a stand or hand mixer mix: cream cheese,seasonings and diced green chilis- mix with the whisk attachment and mix it on med-high for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides at least once… you want it well combined with no lumps. Add the first 1 1/2 cups of cheese and mix until combined.

Place cream cheese mixture in a medium sized baking dish or small cast iron skillet. Smooth out and add the salsa verde, as mush or as little as you like really and then top with the rest of the cheese.

Place in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until bubbly.

Garnish with Cilantro