Dog Food Dip

In my family, we all love fall.  There are so many fall activities we take part in.  Apple picking, pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and fall arts & crafts are some of the favorites.  However, when fall arrives, the first thing I think of is FOOTBALL!  That's right!  When September rolls around, football takes over our household on Sundays and one of the best parts of watching football is the food we get to indulge in!  Whether it is at our house or someone else's, Sunday is a time to relax, enjoy the game, and pig out!  Within reason of course.

However, our family has also become weary of carbs over the last few years, and making low carb snacks for football has become a challenge for me.  One of our favorite lower carb options is our Dog Food Dip.  It is something my husband and I concocted one day by just grabbing things out of the fridge and saying "this might be good!"  So, Dog Food Dip as our friend calls it, has become a football favorite!  There are many variations, but this is our favorite so far.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 pkg cream cheese
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 lb. ground beef
• Seasonings to taste

Directions:

1. Fully cook ground beef with favorite seasonings.  We like onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and a little bit of cumin in ours.
2. Next, drain ground beef and pour back into pan.  
3. Add cream cheese to ground beef and cook on medium.  Note, it is easier to melt the cream cheese if you leave it on the counter for an hour or so to soften.
4. After cream cheese has combined with the ground beef, add salsa and shredded cheese and stir while cooking until cheese has melted and mixture has combined.  
5. Remove from heat, pour into serving dish and scoop with your favorite dipping medium.  Our family likes tortilla chips (on those days when carbs aren't being watched) or a big bag of pork rinds which are carb free and add a porky flavor to the mix.  Enjoy!