Tired Of Boring Canned Refried Beans? It's Time For Texas Trash Dip

Even though homemade refried beans are tasty and addictive, the canned version always seems to miss the mark when attempting to deliver pure, unadulterated flavor, and often needs extra ingredients to make them equally zesty and delicious. If you've been looking for a new way to enjoy canned refried beans, look no further than Texas trash dip, which breathes new life into canned refried beans by combining them with cream cheese, sour cream, and green chiles. Taco seasoning and shredded cheese are added for extra flavor. 

While little information exists on the origins of this Southern delicacy, people in and out of the Lone Star State keep making this tasty bean and cheese mixture for its easy assembly and crowd-pleasing popularity. Surely, there is nothing trashy about transforming refried beans into a highly addictive appetizer — so why do Texans use the word "trash" to title their tasty statewide creations? Believe it or not, Texas trash snack mix — another state-specific snack with an obscure name — is a spicier version of Chex Mix, and Texas trash pie includes all your favorite sweet and salty snacks, lovingly stuffed into a prepared pie crust.

Unlike the easy 7-layer dip, which is served cold, Texas trash dip ingredients are mixed and evenly baked in the oven until warm and bubbly. Instead of serving refried beans as a separate layer or part of your resulting appetizer, they're infused with cream cheese, sour cream, and cheese to make one creamy and delicious dip. Texas trash dip rewards you with warm and savory beans in every bite. Alternatively, black bean dip with cheese and cilantro combines mashed and whole black beans with a tomato jalapeño mixture served warm. While this dip is easily comparable to Texas trash dip, the state-specific variety infuses rich cream cheese and cool sour cream for a tasty upgrade.

Preparing Texas trash dip is also quite simple, and doesn't require a lot of preparation. Instead of waiting for cold cream cheese to come to room temperature, soften your creamy ingredients in the microwave before whisking in canned refried beans. Mix in the other ingredients and whatever combination of seasonings you enjoy. While most standard recipes recommend your favorite taco seasoning packet, feel free to add your own unique combination of spices. Add extra garlic powder for heightened flavor, or cayenne pepper for additional heat. Once the mixture is nicely blended, transfer your dip to an oven-safe casserole, top with more cheese (if you like), and bake until hot and melty.

While traditional Texas trash dip is delicious, there are plenty of ways to upgrade this Southern delight to fit your taste buds. Before combining the dip's ingredients, upgrade canned refried beans by incorporating more fat, dried spices, or lime juice. By enhancing canned refried beans preliminarily, your resulting appetizer will be loaded with extra flavor. Aside from adding the recommended can of green chiles, you can also add minced onion, garlic, or chopped jalapeños for added texture or spice.

Once Texas trash dip is hot and ready to serve, there are many ways you can add extra ingredients to make this creamy appetizer more exciting. If you're serving this dip to guests, include small bowls of lime, fresh guacamole, tomatoes, and lettuce to incorporate more bright ingredients. You can also allow your dip a few minutes to cool, and then cover the top with taco-friendly extras like black olives, cold sour cream, and hot sauce.

Texas trash dip is so versatile that apart from being a standalone appetizer served with tortilla chips, this mixture can serve as a savory component for your next taco night. Line tortillas with the dip, add seasoned taco meat, and whatever fresh toppings you enjoy. With how easy Texas trash dip is to prepare, you no longer have to endure another helping of lackluster canned refried beans.