Cheesy Jalapeno Bean Dip

By the end of last weekend, I was pretty close to exhausted, so I decided I was going to take it fairly easy as far as cooking, and take some time outside the kitchen to kick back and watch some TV while munching on chips and dip.  Turns out there wasn't a whole lot worth watching on TV, but the chips and dip part of the plan turned out great!

The recipe below reflects one I learned to cook more than 20 years ago, while in grad school.  A friend of mine knew a lot more about cooking than I did, and among his various other culinary achievements, I thought his bean dip was possibly the best ever.   I watched him make it enough times that I picked up the basics, and it's evolved over time to the current version.  It's more flavorful than spicy, it has a great texture and it stores and reheats well. 

I like this recipe quite a bit, and hope you will, too. 

Cheesy Jalapeno Bean Dip

yield = about 4 cups of dip

1       teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
1/4    cup finely-chopped, fresh jalapeno peppers
1       teaspoon grated garlic
1       teaspoon ground cumin
1/8    teaspoon cayenne pepper
1       large can (31 ounces) or two small cans refried beans
4       ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2       tablespoons taco sauce

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.   When the oil is shimmering, add the chopped jalapenos and stir-fry about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, fry 30 seconds, then add the cumin and cayenne and cook another 30 seconds.

Reduce heat to low and add the refried beans, stirring to mix the jalapeno mixture evenly with the beans.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, then stir in the cheddar cheese and taco sauce.   Cook, stirring often, until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the dip.  

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with choice of chips.

Note:
I used Ortega Medium Taco Sauce and served up the dip with Tostitos Scoops.

If you like more heat to your dip, you might add a bit more cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce.