Mississippi

Happy Spring everybody! Spring is quickly becoming my favorite time of year. I just spent my afternoon yesterday reading outside and planting flowers (I am even trying to grow some Juliet tomatoes)! And I can't believe I am already to M...it's only been a year and a half! :)

I grew up in Mississippi, but I didn't appreciate my great home state as much until I moved away. Especially in the Mississippi Delta where my grandparents live. Things seem to move slower there, and life is so simple!


Here's a picture of the sun setting over the bean field in the back of my grandparents house.

So in honor of the magnolia state, I wanted to share one of my favorite dips, aptly named "Mississippi State Sin".

Ingredients

1 (approx. 1 pound) round loaf of crusty bread, optional
1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1-1/2 cups of sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar
1/3 cup of chopped ham
1/3 cup of sliced green onion
1 can of green chilies, undrained
2 tablespoons of pickled jalapenos, chopped
Couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To serve in a bread bowl, cut the very top off of the bread and hollow out, leaving about a 1-inch shell and reserving the bread from both the top and the inside. Set the top aside and cut the inside bread into cubes or tear into chunks if desired, to use for dipping.



Cream the cream cheese and sour cream together until well blended. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix in well. Place enough aluminum foil to wrap around the bread on a baking sheet and pour the cheese mixture into the bread bowl, or into a baking dish. Return to top the bread on top and wrap the loaf completely in the foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Can also bake in a baking dish if desired. Serve with the reserved bread.



This dip is so easy, and the best part is you can cook it the hour before and not have to worry about it! And you never have to worry about having leftovers! :)