Taco Appetizer

A couple of nights ago, I needed to make a dinner for one person . . . me. When I know I'll be eating alone, I usually give piddling little thought to what I'm going to make until the hunger pangs start stabbing me in the tum-tum. Then, of course, I want to make something that's quick. The card for Taco Appetizer got pulled from my recipe box because I knew it would satisfy my craving for lots of fresh veggies and the crunch of salty chips . . . and not take a lot of time to prepare.

This recipe may be filed under "Appetizers" but in our family, it's always been enjoyed as a whole meal. I think the recipe came from my mom but I've had it for so long, I really don't remember for sure. My daughter LOVES it and I'll bet makes it more often than anybody else who has the recipe.

The recipe serves four people so I made just half the recipe . . . and, of course, ate too much. (Burp. 'Scuse me.) Following is the full recipe.

TACO APPETIZER

In a bowl, mix 8 oz. softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup taco sauce. I do this with the back of a spoon but you can use a spatula . . . or wide knife . . . or your elbow . . . or whatever you want.

Spread this mixture on a dinner plate about 1/2" thick.

Now chop some crisp, green lettuce and spread over the top of the cream cheese mixture.

Next comes a layer of chopped red, ripe tomatoes. (I like LOTS of tomatoes!)

Chop some onions (I prefer scallions), and sprinkle these over tomatoes. (I used a red onion because it was what I had, which was unfortunate because it didn't photograph very appetizingly. Tasted fine though.)

Next layer is chopped black olives.

The last layer is shredded cheddar cheese, topped with a drizzle of more taco sauce.

Serve with a bowl of chips that are suitable to use for scooping up portions of the Taco Appetizer. Dig all the way down (don't be bashful here) through the bottom layer of cream cheese with each chip. If I'm serving to family or close friends who don't mind the communal dish, I just put the plate in the middle of the table and we all dive in. But I have made individual, small plates for those who might rather not double dip. Works out fine that way, too.

What's that? You ask if that's a glass of beer you see in the last picture above? No . . . no, no. No, I wouldn't drink alone. That would be a baaaad sign, wouldn't it? Drinking alone. Of an evening. Home alone. By myself. No, it's a . . . it's a . . . it's a glass of apple juice . . . in a beer glass . . . with a small head on it. Uh-huh, yep, that's what it is. (And it goes soooo well with the Taco Appetizer and chips!)