TARANTULA TACO DIP OR SALAD

Steps:

• 1. On Medium heat, brown the ground beef, salt, pepper and onion. Add Ortega Taco seasoning packet and water and continue to heat until the water is reduced and taco meat has a nice consistency but is not wet.
• 2. In the bottom of a 9" by 13" pan spread the refried beans. Spread the meat mixture on top of the beans and pat with a spatula until level.
• 3. Layer on the diced tomatoes, pour the bottle of Ortega medium sauce over the tomatoes and meat mixture. Layer on the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• 4. When the cheese is golden brown and bubbly remove from the oven. Frost the top of the dish with the sour cream and put the black olives on top for garnish. You may also use chopped scallions or green onions for garnish. This dip can be a main meal dish if you put in a fried flour tortilla shell and serve with chopped iceberg lettuce. When putting the Tarantula dip in the fried shell, I put the sour cream and black olives on as a dollop instead of spreading the sour cream on the whole dish. This dish is best when served warm from the oven.