Cielito Lindo

After my trip to Guadalajara recently, I was in a very Mexican vibe…  I wanted to eat over and over again the flavors of Mexico I had just experienced.

Now during the Holidays, if you want to enjoy a “dip” or appetizer with a Mexican influence, you can prepare a Cielito Lindo.  I’ve heard people called this a 7-layer dip.  But in Puerto Rico we call it a Cielito Lindo… maybe because we’re not tied to a specific amount of layers of ingredients.  And what’s cool about this, you can construct the layers as you prefer, including everything you love or deleting anything you don’t.  I personally do not like refried beans, so I never include them, but if they’re your “thing”, go ahead and add a layer of them.

I made this version in a large ramekin, but you can adjust the quantities to fit the larger plate or tray you want to use.

CIELITO LINDO

4 oz of cream cheese, room temperature

2 tbs of your favorite Mexican salsa

½ cup of shredded cheddar – mixture of white and orange works great

¼ cup of shredded lettuce

¼ cup of tomatoes, chopped finely

1 tbs sour cream

Whole grain corn tortilla chips to accompany

This is more an assembly dish than a recipe…

1. First, spread a layer of the softened cream cheese. 
2. 
3. Then spread the salsa on top of the cream cheese. 
4. 
5. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top of salsa.
6. 
7. Place a layer of the lettuce and the tomatoes on top of that.
8. 
9. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy with your favorite whole-grain corn chips…

Tags: cream cheese, lettuce, salsa, tomato