Cheesy Salsa Dip in a Bread Bowl is an amazing appetizer to serve at your Cinco de Mayo celebration. You will absolutely love the blending of flavors and the taste. You can serve it with tortilla chips, fresh veggies, toasted bread cubes, etc. It’s a snap to put together, and can be made ahead of time. Olé!
Ingredients for Cheesy Salsa Dip in a Bread Bowl:
I used the following ingredients for this show-stopping appetizer: Crusty bread round, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, and taco seasoning. I used homemade pico de gallo and taco seasoning. However, you could definitely use store-bought pico de gallo or salsa, and taco seasoning.
Making the Cheesy Salsa Dip is a Bread Bowl:
I started by slicing off the top of the bread round. Then, I scooped out the inside to make a bread bowl. Because I was going to serve the dip with tortilla chips, I saved the scooped out insides for another purpose.
Next, I prepared the salsa dip. First, I drained the pico de gallo and Rotel tomatoes. Then, I placed them in a large microwave-safe bowl. I added the cream cheese, sour cream, Cheddar cheese and taco seasoning. After that, I microwaved the ingredients on high for 1 minute. I removed the bowl from the microwave, and stirred the ingredients together. Then, I returned the bowl to the microwave for another minute on high. Again, I removed the bowl from the microwave, and stirred the ingredients together. I repeated this one more time until the cheeses were melted. Finally, I whisked the ingredients together until everything was nicely incorporated and smooth (except for the pico de gallo and Rotel tomatoes!)
Finishing the Cheesy Salsa Dip in a Bread Bowl:
I transferred the salsa dip to the prepared bread bowl, and placed the top on the bread. Then, I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and placed it in a preheated 350° F oven for an hour. After an hour, I removed the dip from the oven and uncovered the aluminum foil. I removed the top, and gave the dip a quick stir. To crisp up the edible bread bowl, I returned the dip and the top to the oven for another 15 minutes.
The Cheesy Salsa Dip in a Bread Bowl was out-of-this world good! What makes it even better is that there are a number of variations on a theme. As an example, for a really quick dip, you could heat it in the microwave it for another couple of minutes, and it would be ready to eat. At that point, you could either pour it into the bread bowl, or bypass the bread bowl and serve it in a decorative bowl. In addition, the dip is amazing served cold. Also, it can be made ahead of time, and either refrigerated to serve cold, or reheated when ready to eat. Yum!
- 1 (16 ounce) Bread round
- 1 cup pico de gallo or salsa, drained (see note 1)
- 10 ounce can Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
- 8 ounce package cream cheese (see note 2)
- 8 ounce container sour cream (see note 3)
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese (see note 4)
- 2 Tablespoons Taco seasoning
- Tortilla chips or fresh vegetables for dipping
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Slice top off bread round and scoop out interior. Use scooped out bread for another purpose.
Place pico de gallo, Rotel Tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, and taco seasoning in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high in microwave for 1 minute. Remove from microwave, and stir ingredients together.
Return to microwave for another minute; heat on high. Remove and stir ingredients together. Repeat one more time, or until cheeses are fully melted.
Whisk dip ingredients until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into the bread bowl. Place the top back on the bread. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and uncover the aluminum foil. Remove the bread top and stir. Return dip and bread top to oven for 15 additional minutes to crisp up bread.
Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables such as celery and carrots (see note 5).
Yield: 8 servings.
- Note 1: Use home-made or good quality store-bought pico de gallo or salsa. The hotter the pico de gallo or salsa, the hotter the dip.
- Note 2: May use regular or reduced fat cream cheese.
- Note 3: May use regular or reduced fat sour cream.
- Note 4: I used extra sharp Cheddar cheese.
- Note 5: The Cheesy Salsa Dip can be served hot or cold in a decorative bowl as opposed to the bread bowl. If served hot, heat the dip in the microwave for several additional minutes on high until hot and bubbly. In addition, the hot dip can be served in a bread bowl without baking it in the oven.
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