Southwestern Appetizer Recipe

Southwestern Appetizer Recipe

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 1 4-ounce can green chilies, drained and sliced crosswise
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
  • 2 cups cooked pinto beans, drained
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 small ripe avocado
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 8-ounce container sour cream or light sour cream
  • 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded jalapeno Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
  • Tortilla chips
  1. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the onion and saute until golden, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chilies. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until chilies are heated through. Remove half of mixture to a small bowl, stir the chili powder, cumin, and Tabasco into the remaining onion mixture in the skillet. Heat, stirring, 1 minute.
  2. Add the beans, water, salt, and black pepper to the onion mixture in the skillet. Mash the beans with a potato masher or a fork until they are as smooth as possible. Then spoon into the bottom of a 1½-quart casserole or serving dish.
  3. Peel, seed, and chop the avocado into the bowl with the remaining onion mixture. Add the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper; mash the avocado with a potato masher or fork until mixture is as smooth as possible. Spoon the avocado mixture on top of the beans in the casserole or baking dish.
  4. Spread the sour cream over the avocado mixture. Top with tomato, lettuce, and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.