Recipes, recipes, recipes: Appetizers - Dips

Seeing as how the Fourth of July is coming up soon, I figured there has never been a better time to swap some recipes. As we all know this holiday is enthusiastically celebrated with barbecues and pool parties full of drinks, food and a hefty supply of sparklers and fireworks (usually illegal.) Whether you're just attending or you bravely made the decision to coordinate one of aforementioned fiestas, you'll more than likely be responsible for some sort of dish, varying from appetizer to dessert. And if you happen to be anything like me, your culinary expertise is vastly lacking...and that's on a good day. Having been born into a family of culinary masters, I'd managed to garner some sort of cooking knowledge, be it very small and purely for survival purposes.

Here are two quick and easy recipes that are sure to satisfy any party crowd - - 

Spicy Corn Dip
Ingredients:
8 oz. of fat free sour cream
12 oz. of fat free mayo
1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions
2 cans of (drained) Mexicorn
1 can of (drained) Hot Rotel*
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Now all you have to do is combined all of the ingredients, let cool for awhile, and then pop open a bag of tortilla chips. Trust me, the dip will be long gone by time you get to a second bag.

(*Side note: if you happen to prefer something a bit more mild or know that those you'll be serving dislike dishes that are too spicy, the Hot Rotel can easily be replaced with Mild or Original. Also, I prefer to cook, or in this case - mix, in a healthy manner. Any ingredients can be substituted for original or reduced fat, as per preference.) 

Hot Spinach Queso Dip

Ingredients:
2 cups Monterey Jack shredded cheese (If you want to simply the recipe further, I suggest using the Queso Blanco Velveeta type cheese that comes in the box.)

1 can of (drained) Hot, Mild, or Original Rotel
1 cup frozen spinach

All this recipe requires is for you to melt the cheese, in a double boiler or crockpot at low to medium heat until the cheese has melted. Allow the spinach to thaw out, or microwave it on for about 30 seconds to speed up the process. Then you can stir in the Rotel and the spinach and allow it to cook for about 5 more minutes.

Easy, simple and delicious. I would be embarrassed by how basic these recipes are if I hadn't gotten rave reviews on both of them. They are incredible snacks that give off the appearance of hard work with less then half the effort. I like to think of them as my own "Semi-Homemade Recipes"...minus the Semi, and add in "Not-At-All Homemade Recipes."