Ugly Dip

When I was in college, I found a recipe which I believe was on the back of a bag of Mission tortilla chips. However, I no longer have the actual recipe, and I cannot find it anywhere online. When I make it now it is completely going off of memory (or lack thereof). So this may or may not be the original recipe, and if any of you happen to know the original source of this one, let me know so that I can give them credit.

The first time I made this in my college apartment I read the instruction to blend the ingredients together, and thought it was referring to a blender. Well, after breaking my roommate Heather's blender, I quickly realized that may not have been what was intended (sorry, Heather! I still feel bad about that). But don't worry, Heather is a very forgiving person and still one of my best friends!

After the above trial and error, I used a mixer and the results were much better. This dip was so delicious and is something I have continued to make over the years. I don't remember the original name, so now I call it "Ugly Dip." And if you look at the picture of it, you will understand why! But as your parents taught you, appearance isn't everything. So look beyond the bowl and give it a try!

You will need:

• Two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (I usually use the 1/3 less fat kind but only had regular around this time).
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning, any brand will do
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can of diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained

Place all the ingredients in your stand mixer or in a large bowl if using your hand mixer. Mix together until well blended.

And this is the ugly, yet delicious result. This is great for a party (just in time for the Super Bowl) because you can make it the day before and refrigerate it until party time. Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.