Leftover Quinoa Part 2 - 4 Layer Dip

I loved the idea of mixing quinoa with ground meat for tacos, but last time I tried it I put in too much quinoa for the amount of ground beef I used.  This time around I went for a 1:1 ratio and it looked much better.

We have a recipe from my Grandma that I loved growing up.  She called it Mexican Dip, but I normally call it Grandma's Dip.  I suppose it could be called 4 layer dip, too, since that's what it is.  We like to eat it as a dinner since it's pretty hearty.

The first layer is an 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened, then mixed with 1 cup of your favorite salsa.  The second layer is a can of refried beans, warmed, then mixed with 1/2 cup of salsa.

I always put the recipe into two small casserole dishes instead of the big 9x13 so I can put one in the freezer for another dinner.

 

 

The third layer calls for 12 oz ground beef, 1 and 1/2 cups salsa, and 2 T cumin.  I used a half pound beef and cooked quinoa if about the same mass instead of the 12 oz ground beef.   Here's how it looked before I added cumin and salsa.

 

 

 

Finally, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes at 350, just enough to melt the cheese since the other layers are warm already.

We ate this with some chips that were hidden in the back of our pantry and it was delicious.  The quinoa was completely hidden and the dish tasted almost the same as usual. 

Katie