Chicken Taco Dip

With the BIG football game just one week away I decided it was time to share one of my favorite dips. While my home team, the Buffalo Bills, aren’t in the big game I will still be watching and my contribution to the party will be this chicken taco dip.

Locally there is a small taco chain who serves up a platter of nachos with ground beef, salsa, creamy cheese dip & sour cream. It’s good, but not exactly friendly to the waistline and I’m constantly looking for ways to cut back the fat & calories and add more grains without sacrificing flavor. I accomplished that goal with this dip.

You will need:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 15.5 oz. jar of tomato, corn & black bean salsa
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or Spanish rice
1/3 cup (+2 tbsp for topping) shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican cheese blend)
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (if desired)
1 bag of tortilla chips (regular or baked)
2 tsp. olive oil

Directions:
1. Prepare the rice, remove from hot/warm burner and let stand when done while preparing the chicken.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the 2 tsp. olive oil then add the ground chicken. Using a spatula break the ground chicken up as it heats through on high heat for about 5-6 min, then reduce to medium heat for about another 2-3 min. until completely cooked through.

3. Add the cooked rice and the jar of salsa to the chicken and mix all three ingredients well.

4. Put the chicken, salsa, rice and 1/3 cup of cheese into a serving bowl and top with the sour cream and the 2 remaining tbsp. of shredded cheese. You can also mix the sour cream into the mixture instead of topping it if you prefer. Serve warm with chips & enjoy.