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Cheesy Black Bean Dip

A creamy dip made with black beans, bacon, cheese, and spices.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Cream cheese and cheddar cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 467 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Cheesy Black Bean Dip

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the bacon

  1. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp.

  2. Remove bacon from pan, crumble, and set aside.

  3. If there is more than about 1 tablespoon of grease in the pan, drain off some of the excess.

Make the dip

  1. Saute garlic in bacon drippings for 1-2 minutes.

  2. Add beans, cheese, picante sauce, onions, oregano, cumin, and cayenne to pan. Mix well.

  3. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

  4. Stir in bacon.

Serve

  1. Transfer to a serving bowl.

  2. Garnish if desired.

  3. Serve with chips or vegetables.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

553Calories
29 gProtein
33 gFat
37 gCarbs

Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Black Bean1/2 cup canned (120g) drained114
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Cream Cheese1 oz (28g)99
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bacon1 slice cooked (8g)43
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

  1. Cream cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together467 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  3. Garlic + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,756 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Clove + oreganotop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together556 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  5. Beans + oreganotop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together453 recipes

    Shared aroma: hexyl acetate (fruity, apple).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Black beans
Provide the bulk and body of the dip, thickened by mashing.
Cream cheese
Adds creaminess and smooth richness so the dip stays spreadable.
Cheddar cheese or monterey jack cheese
Melts into a stretchy, savory binder that holds the dip together.
Bacon
Contributes smoky, salty flavor and fat from its drippings to the garlic.
Picante sauce
Adds acidity and chile heat that brighten the rich cheese and beans.
Garlic
Adds pungent aroma, mellowed by sauteing in the bacon fat.

The step that matters

Cook over low heat once the cheese goes in. Cheese proteins can turn grainy, oily, or stringy when overheated, so gentle low heat and occasional stirring let it melt into a smooth dip.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (garlic, beans, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sauce, onion, oregano):

  1. Cuminfits better
  2. Capersfits better
  3. Basilfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against garlic, beans, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sauce, onion, oregano. 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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