Why it works: Mushroom and chicken are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,172 recipes. Both carry 1-butyl acetate, which smells fruity, banana. The science ↓
Los Barrios Fiesta Dip
Ingredients
Directions
Brown the beef in a large heavy skillet.
Drain the fat from the pan and add onion, soups, and enchilada sauce.
Stir until well blended and add cheese slowly, allowing it to melt before adding more.
Add chiles and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low and cook for 4–5 minutes longer.
Transfer to a slow-cooker or chafing dish and serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 12 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
| Enchilada | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Mushroom + chickentop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,172 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-butyl acetate (fruity, banana).
-
Beef + chickentop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,148 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
-
Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,232 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + chickentop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,814 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ground beef
- Provides the meaty base and savory flavor of the dip.
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Adds creamy body and moisture that carries the dip's texture.
- Cream of chicken soup
- Adds creaminess and a mild savory background to the sauce.
- Enchilada sauce
- Supplies the chili-spiced flavor and liquid that defines the dish.
- Velveeta cheese
- Melts into a smooth, thick sauce that holds the dip together.
The step that matters
Add the cheese slowly. Processed cheese melts smoothly only when added gradually over gentle heat. Adding it all at once can clump or cause the sauce to turn grainy or oily.
Swap the jalapeno
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion, cream, mushroom, chicken, sauce, cheese):
- Garlicfits better
- Thymefits better
- Celeryfits better
- Jalapenothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion, cream, mushroom, chicken, sauce, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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