Celebrating Fiesta With a Duo of Mexi Dips!!

If a week can be "one of those weeks," then this one certainly qualifies for Casa Garcia. It's been super-hectic here, with lots of stuff going on. Needless to say? I'm so glad that tomorrow is Friday, and that I have a three-day weekend coming up! My office is closed tomorrow because it's Fiesta time in San Antonio. Fiesta is a 10-day citywide celebration with parades, fiestas, and all sorts of fun events all over town. Trust me: it's a Big Deal! Sort of like our version of Mardi Gras with a Tex-Mex twist, if you will.

What better way to celebrate Fiesta than whipping up a couple of fun and tasty dips to share with family? So, that's exactly what I'm doing tonight! As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received samples of three new all-natural dip mixes from Tostito's and Lay's earlier this week: Country Ranch, Garden Onion, and Freshly Made Guacamole. For tonight's family get-together, I decided to make some guacamole and use the ranch seasoning to create a Weekend Gourmet original recipe: Mexi-Ranch Dip. The Greek Ranch Dip that I shared in here recently was such a hit that I used the same basic idea...this time using ingredients commonly found in Tex-Mex food.

Mexi-Ranch Dip...and Freshly Made Guacamole

Step 1:  To make the Mexi-Ranch Dip, add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl: an 8-ounce light sour cream (I prefer Daisy brand), 8 ounces whipped cream cheese, 1 tbs. puree from a can of chipotle chiles, 1 packet Lays Dip Creations Country Ranch dip mix, 3/4 cup shredded four-cheese Mexican blend, 1/2 chopped seeded tomato, and 2 sliced green onions.

Step 2:  Stir well to combine and spoon the dip into a pretty serving bowl. Refrigerate for at least one hour to let the flavors combine.

The guacamole isn't a recipe so much as a method. I simply added the Freshly Made Guacamole seasoning mix, diced tomato, finely chopped white onion, and 2 tbs. finely chopped cilantro to two large, ripe avocados.

I mashed everything together with a spoon, making sure to leave some of the avocado chunky. I personally find that avocados from Mexico are creamier and make the best guacamole...so look at your label when you're grocery shopping!

The dip mixes made it super easy to whip up these two dips in about 20 minutes. The packets added just the right amount of seasoning to the dip and the guacamole without tasting fake or overwhelming. Both dips are delicious and simple to whip up, even during your most hectic week!!