Black Bean and Goat Cheese Dip

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It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a recipe because quite frankly I haven’t had much time to experiment in the kitchen since Max was born in June, but I made my Black Bean and Goat Cheese dip the other day, and realized it’s not up on the blog! I love this dip because you can serve it as an appetizer for a big group or it can eat like a casual meal if you don’t feel like cooking one night.

The base starts with my Easy Slow Cooker Black Beans, which I usually make the day before, and than you just layer it in a casserole dish with salsa, a mix of havarti and goat cheese, and top it off with guacamole (I love the organic pre-made individual Wholly Guacamole Minis from Costco). This dip is a great way to incorporate beans into your diet, which are an awesome source of fibre and iron. It’s so important to make sure kids get enough iron as it’s one of the minerals that play in role in healthy brain development.

Fall is the perfect time of year to pull out your slow cooker and don’t be intimidated at the idea of cooking dried beans. It’s so easy, and they taste so much better than canned. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Dip

Ingredients

3-4 cups pre-cooked black turtle beans
2 cups salsa of choice (I use a black bean and corn salsa)
1 cup shredded havarti cheese
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup guacamole or 2 packages Wholly Guacamole minis or 1 small avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped pickled hot peppers or jalepenos
Cilantro and green onion for garnish (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a small casserole dish, layer black beans, salsa and cheese and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and spread guacamole over the top. Garnish with pickled hot peppers, chopped cilantro and green onions.

When I have this dip as a meal, I love pairing it with something sweet like sweet potato fries, roasted acorn squash or on a bed of spaghetti squash. Serve with healthy tortilla chips, baked corn tortillas or whole-wheat pita when serving as an appetizer.