Maggie’s famous bean dip

Maggie Werner-Washburne

Maggie’s Famous Bean Dip

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Author: Maggie Werner-Washburne

Cook time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min

During most of my life, I’ve taken this bean dip to parties or incorporated it into burritos. It can be a meal in itself, served with chips or tortillas. Be creative. First question: Homemade or canned refried beans? I’m often in a hurry and someone needs to be fed right now, so typically I use canned beans. Fat or no fat, but I like organic ones if you can find them. I’m sure my sister, Maria’s beans are better, but she lives in the South Valley of ABQ, so too far to drive most times. This recipe has never been written, so here goes. Get a beer or glass of wine, if you drink, and put it on the side.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sautéed in olive oil
• 16 oz (a can-size) of pretty dense refried beans
• 3 crushed garlic cloves (more or less depending on your taste)
• 16 oz diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp cumin (add to taste)
• 1/2 cup red salsa (optional)
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I love the real ones hecho en Mexico)

Protocol

1. Heat and stir sautéed onion, refried beans, garlic, and tomatoes until mixed and almost boiling.
2. Add cumin to taste – might be less that 1 tsp, but add, taste, add. (Remember, you have liquid set aside to drink.) Cumin is essential.
3. I like to have ~1/2 C red salsa nearby, you can add green chile or your favorite chile powder, like Ancho chile, to taste – but, the secret ingredient is: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4. I usually take 3 peppers and dice them finely and add half and then half again. You can add more or less, but they will make the bean dip get hotter in a time-dependent fashion. So, cuidado – be careful. The nice thing about these peppers, in addition to how they taste, is that, in a good container, they last a long time in the refrigerator and are good reminders that you need to make some bean dip, maybe today!
5. Now, the bean dip is almost done. Taste it. (The drink you have there, will help cleanse your palate. Such fun cooking.)
6. If your bean dip is now too hot for friends or family, God’s gift to super-hot bean dip is cheese. I often add cheddar, but feel free to be creative. Just a few ounces will tame the bean dip and give it a wonderful texture and creamy flavor. (Again, the beauty is tasting, cleansing the palate, and tasting again.)
7. People will love you for bringing this to the table.

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