Dip into Dinner

Everyone loves a good dip. There is just something about a table full of bowls, chips and bold flavors that turns any meal into a party.

In my house, dips are basically a love language, especially for my son, whose favorite food is cheese. If he gets to pick the restaurant, we are headed straight to a Mexican spot where he will happily eat his weight in chips, queso, salsa and guacamole. And I get it. Dip is fun, shareable and feels like a treat.

That’s why so many Friday nights in our household end up being a shared “snack dinner” where everyone grazes, laughs and goes back for one more scoop. This Mexican Dip Board is a prime example of one of those meals. It is easy to throw together, colorful on the table and guaranteed to make people linger.

It is also a great option to prep for a day by the pool, a casual gathering with friends for Cinco de Mayo or a game-day crowd pleaser. You can scale it up, keep it simple or add extras depending on who’s coming.

One quick note: These recipes are not authentic or culturally traditional. They are simply my way of pulling together the flavors we love in a quick, approachable format.

The best part is that they use ingredients you likely already have in your pantry — mayo, sour cream, canned green chilies, evaporated milk, spices — with only a few fresh items to grab, like avocados, tomatoes, limes and cilantro.

Not only does this board offer something for everyone (creamy, spicy, fresh, tangy), but also it creates a bright, eye-pleasing spread with yellow corn chips, purple tortilla chips, green guacamole, red pico de gallo and and warm white queso all in one place.

Whether it’s a laid-back Friday night with the family or a celebration with a crowd, this Mexican Dip Board is one of those spreads that makes everyone happy. It’s easy to pull together, fun to share and guaranteed to disappear fast.

Print Recipe

Mexican Dip Board

Build an easy Mexican dip board with queso, guacamole, and pico—perfect for snack dinner, Cinco de Mayo, pool days, or game day crowds.

Course

Appetizer

Cuisine

Mexican

Keyword

avocados, corn, Queso, tomato

Servings

Ingredients

For the Corn Dip

• 2 1/4 cups corn
• 1/4 cup Duke's mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese broken into chunks
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• dash of Tajian seasoning

For the Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocadoes
• 1 juice and grated rind of lemon
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1/4 cup onion chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the Pico de Gallo

• 3 Roma Tomatoes diced
• 1/2 medium white onion chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 lime juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the Queso Dip

• 1/2 lb white American cheese shredded
• 1/2 lb pepper jack cheese shredded
• 4 1/2 ounce green chilies drained and chopped
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

For the Board

• Yellow Corn Chips
• Scoops Chips
• Purple Tortilla Chips
• Flamin' Hot Fritos
• Sliced Limes
• Sliced Mango

Course Appetizer Cuisine Mexican Keyword avocados, corn, Queso, tomato Servings Ingredients For the Corn Dip 2 1/4 cups corn 1/4 cup Duke's mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup cotija cheese broken into chunks 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro dash of Tajian seasoning For the Guacamole 2 ripe avocadoes 1 juice and grated rind of lemon 3 garlic cloves finely chopped 1/4 cup onion chopped 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon sea salt For the Pico de Gallo 3 Roma Tomatoes diced 1/2 medium white onion chopped 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely minced 1/2 cup cilantro chopped 1 lime juiced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper For the Queso Dip 1/2 lb white American cheese shredded 1/2 lb pepper jack cheese shredded 4 1/2 ounce green chilies drained and chopped 12 ounces evaporated milk 1 teaspoon ground cumin For the Board Yellow Corn Chips Scoops Chips Purple Tortilla Chips Flamin' Hot Fritos Sliced Limes Sliced Mango

Instructions

For the Corn Dip

1. Sear the corn in a pan over medium/high heat, just enough so that some of the kernels char.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar.
3. Add the sauce to the corn and saute over medium/low heat until warm.
4. Pour into a bowl, garnish with cilantro, cotija cheese and sprinkle with Tajian seasoning.

For the Guacamole

1. Remove the avocados from the flesh and discard the pit. Smash the avocado in a bowl with a fork.
2. Add the lemon juice and grated lemon rind, garlic, onion, cilantro and salt.

For the Pico de Gallo

1. In a serving bowl mix all the ingredients.

For the Queso Dip

1. Add the evaporated milk to a saucepan over low heat and slowly drop in the cheese, stirring continuously until all the cheese is melted into the milk and the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the drained green chilies (reserve a few to garnish on top) and sprinkle in the cumin and stir to combine. Serve warm in a dish.

Board Prep

1. Arrange the bowls of Corn Dip, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo and Queso on a board. Place the sliced limes, mango (sprinkled with Tajian) and chips around them on the board and serve.

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