Our personal recipe for quick and easy tomato salsa is so addictive, you'll want to double up and make two batches — that's how fast it disappears. We'll show you how to make a true restaurant-style salsa, and let you in on a few secret ingredients that really enhance the natural flavor of tomatoes. Watch the video and keep reading to see the classic salsa recipe.
With Cinco de Mayo on the horizon, you'll need a lot of salsa to celebrate. Instead of reaching for bottles in the chips aisle, make this chipotle-tomatillo salsa, which will put any of the jarred stuff to shame. If you've never attempted homemade salsa, let me let you in on a little secret. I've never been able to make a decent homemade salsa before I met Michelle Bernstein, a Miami chef, restaurateur, and expert in Latino cuisine. We met at Lean Cuisine's Culinary Roundtable, where Michelle, a member of the conference, taught a group of us food writers how to prepare various salsas from different regions of South America. This is a riff on her traditional Mexican salsa.
Afraid of tomatillos? Don't be! They have a flavor like underripe tomatoes, and once you've tried them in this salsa, you'll want to experiment with them in other Mexican sauces, soups, and dishes.
The tomatillos, onions, and garlic take a trip to the broiler to become charred and softened. This adds a smoky, roasted flavor to the salsa.
If you're wondering how the salsa turns out red, it's due to the chipotle peppers in adobo. Pulse the charred vegetables, chipotles in adobo, and agave nectar (which neutralizes the spiciness, according to Michelle) together in a food processor until a smooth salsa forms. One bite and you'll be hooked on this salsa forever. It has the amazing ability to hit all the flavor profiles at once: sweet from the agave, sour from the tomatillos, spicy from the chipotle, and salty from the adobo sauce.
When it comes to Mexican cuisine, there is nothing quite as essential as guacamole. In its most basic form, the creamy dip consists of perfectly ripe mashed avocado seasoned with salt. While there are hundreds of recipes, it's nice to have a simple one to start with. Once you've mastered the technique, it's easy to get creative with lots of variations. You can experiment with different types of onion, substitute lemon or orange juice for the lime juice, and change the texture by blitzing in a food processor. Since Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, it's a great time to share my favorite guacamole recipe. To check it out and see more suggestions on how to jazz it up, keep reading.
The next time you get a craving for gooey chorizo-filled queso dip, there's only one thing to do: make this amazing cheese dip! Sure, it has nothing to do with seasonal eating, but that's OK. Sometimes it's nice to break the rules and just enjoy a dip because it tastes really good.
A combination of queso fresco, white cheddar, mozzarella, and goat cheese, this queso is addictive and delicious. To make it vegetarian, simply omit the chorizo. To check out this recipe — I'm definitely making it again! — keep reading.
If someone were to ask me, "What's your guilty pleasure food?" there's only one thing I can honestly answer: Velveeta. It's so bad . . . yet it's so good! Technically Velveeta isn't a cheese, but a "processed pasteurized cheese product" that has a creamy texture, mild cheddar flavor, and characteristic artificial-orange color.
Velveeta's most endearing quality, however, is its wonderful ability to melt; once heated, it becomes as smooth as velvet. Since 1928, when Kraft first introduced it to America kitchens, Velveeta has been used to make macaroni and cheese and my personal favorite, nacho cheese dip.
While I enjoy the traditional queso dip (a mixture of Velveeta and Ro-tel, a line of canned tomatoes and green chiles popular in Texas), I prefer this jazzed-up rendition. The refried beans provide a nice meatiness and the cumin gives it an element of smoke.
Here's the secret to being the best-liked person in the room: make hot and cheesy buffalo chicken dip. If you're the kind of person who dreams about buffalo sauce (and really, who doesn't?), then score a touchdown at your next game-day party with a creamy, tangy dip that tastes just like fiery-hot chicken wings. Watch the video, print out the recipe, and wait for all your friends to beg you for the recipe.
Bean dips and hummus, served with crunchy chips and crackers, are always a welcome appetizer for parties, barbecues, and hangouts in general. Making and serving the dip couldn't be easier; simply whip all the ingredients together in a food processor for a few minutes, scoop the purée into a bowl, and watch as hungry wolves devour it in roughly the same amount of time it took to make. Chickpeas aren't the only bean you can use in bean dips. Here are six dips with beans like edamame, black beans, and cannellini beans worthy of trying out at your next group gathering.
 Chickpea Hummus |
 Edamame Hummus |
 White Bean Dip |
 Red Pepper and White Bean Dip |
 Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip |
 Black Bean Dip |
Need a crowd-pleaser for your Super Bowl party? Try this chili con carne meat-lover’s dip! With plenty of spicy meat and melty cheese, it really hits the spot. All you’ll need is ground beef, cheddar cheese, salsa, taco seasoning, jalapeño, and onion to whip it up. But don’t be fooled! While this dip may not look pretty, it’s hearty and flavorful and the first dish to go at any party. Watch our video to see how it’s done and print out the recipe here!
Take baked feta and marinara sauce to a whole new level by turning the combination into a delicious Greek pizza-inspired dip! It's a super simple recipe that comes together in no time and is perfect for entertaining. If you're looking for something to serve at a Super Bowl or Oscars viewing, learn how to make this amazing dip and watch the video now.
Buffalo wings are an essential for just about any Super Bowl party, but it's hard to keep them warm, and I don't want my house smelling like fried food. So I was thrilled to find a buffalo chicken and cheese dip with the exact same flavors! The best part: you can make the recipe ahead of time and just warm it up in the oven just before the game starts. Bonus: if the dip needs a little more heat at halftime, just throw it in the microwave for a minute to bring it back to its creamy state. 
Be sure to alter the recipe to suit your palate by picking your favorite variety of hot sauce. Serve this scrumptious spicy dip with chips or celery sticks for an even more authentic buffalo wing feel. Get ready for kickoff and keep reading for the recipe.
