Dip is a strange animal. All soft cheeses are good at melting, it's keeping the oil & solids together, suspended...that's the trick.

Best helper for that, aside from cheimcals or starches, is cream cheese or a roue.

If you like cold dips, mix about 1 cup of salsa with 2 8oz chunks of SOFTENED cream cheese, add about 1/4 cup chopped cooked Roma tomatoes. Add some extra garlic, salt, pepper & a few squirts of hot sauce...mix & refridgerate. Shit is great for a cold dip, stands up well when left out too. Add chopped herbs/veggies if you like, whatever floats your boat really. I like sun dried tomatoes in there also.

For a good hot dip, try melting some Queso Blanco(1 cup) and 8oz cream cheese with 1 cup salsa. Depending on how thick you want it, add some cream or milk(a little at a time). Add the obligatory garlic, salt, pepper & hot sauce. Mix together over LOW heat, stir often. You can add all kinds of shit to this one...chives, chopped onions, capers, more jalaps, etc.

Here is a 'mother' sauce I make that is really whatever you want, depending on how thick you make it or what spices you add: 16 oz cream cheese(soft), 1.5 cup heavy cream, 1/2 stick of butter. Mix slowly over LOW heat(heavy pan too). Usually, I add salt, pepper & garlic...but really from there, you can add taco seasoning, veggie dip mix, ranch dressing mix, just about anything. Add some extra cheese and you've got a great fondue! Add salsa & cheddar, you got easy con queso. it's up to you really.

I think people make cooking too hard. Once you get down the basics of what goes with what, you can do anything.

 

A1A Salasa (If you live in FL.)