Vegetarian Taco Dip - A Night at the Oscars

Last Sunday I attended an Oscar-watching party that had multiple vegetarians on the guest list. The host planned an all-vegetarian menu for the occasion. I took this as the perfect opportunity to try out this vegetarian taco dip recipe, originally obtained from a good friend and former coworker.

You can substitute a pound of cooked ground beef instead of veggie crumbles if the word "vegetarian" scares you, but I promise this tastes amazing without the meat. To quote my meat-eating boyfriend, "If you hadn't told me this was vegetarian, I never would have known." He encouraged me to make this recipe as often as possible. Other party attendees were big fans of this dip as well.

Ingredients:

1 12-oz package Morning Star Veggie Crumbles

1 package taco seasoning (I used Trader Joes brand)

1 16-oz can vegetarian refried beans ("Fat free" often means vegetarian in this product)

1 8-oz package reduced fat cream cheese (freeze for 15-20 minutes)

1 16-oz jar of mild salsa

1 small can sliced black olives

1 small jar sliced jalapenos

1 bag Mexican grated cheese blend

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add frozen veggie crumblers, cooking over medium heat until hot and cooked all the way through. Stir often to prevent burning. Remove from heat and mix in the packet of taco seasoning. Feel free to add hot sauce or chili powder if you really like extra heat.

Grease a 9x9 pan with a very small amount of olive oil. Spread refried beans in bottom of pan, using a spatula or spoon to form an even layer. Remove cream cheese from freezer and slice into thin slices (about 1/4 inch). Place these slices on top of the beans, trying to create a full layer of cream cheese.

Spread the whole jar of salsa on top of the cream cheese, again using a spoon or spatula to create an even layer. Spread the seasoned veggie crumblers on top of the salsa. 

Arrange slices of olives and jalapenos as the next layer, keeping in mind how spicy jalapenos (don't go overboard!). I like to chop the jalepenos into smaller pieces to spare party guests from a shockingly spicy bite. Sprinkle grated Mexican cheese on top, using as much cheese as you want.

Bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This dip is best served warm with tortilla chips.