A Cheesy Treat for Your Sportsy Gatherings

I didn't have time yesterday to make a big spread of football food, because I was hosting a birthday luncheon today at school for my dear friend and office mate, Lee Ann, and I was cooking stuff for that. But here is a quick and easy cheeseburger dip--it really tastes just like a cheeseburger--that's not all that attractive, but it makes a flavor touchdown! (See what I did there?)

Here is the dip after the ingredients are mixed together and baked until brown around the edges and bubbly.









You might choose to top your dip with green onions and crumbled bacon as the recipe below suggests, but I went with finely-diced sweet onion and a crowning layer of guacamole. The recipe says to serve with pita chips, but I used regular tortilla chips. YUMMY!

Cheeseburger Dip
(Source: adapted from French's)

1 lb. ground beef (seasoned with 1 t Cajun spice, 1/2 t black pepper and 1 t granulated garlic)

1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup American "cheese")
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish (I used my homemade green tomato relish)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional 
Brown meat in skillet; drain and set aside. Combine all other ingredients in deep pie dish. Fold in meat. Heat in 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with bacon crumbles and green onions , if desired. Serve with pita chips.