Bean dip recipe...

Our favorite Mexican restaurant closed down last fall and we've been going through serious bean dip withdrawals. I've been on the hunt for a good comparison and I found an equal match...18 minutes away. That is way too far to get a bean fix in case you were wondering. I've tried a lot of recipes to find "the one". We've altered recipes and altered them again. I've thrown whole batches away because they didn't work for us. But we found one. We eat it with chips, we eat it in burritos. The kids like it. Wins all the way around.

1 lb dry pinto beans
2 quarts (8 cups) water
1 small onion
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsps jalapeño (we use canned so the heat is consistent)
2 tbsp green chiles
2 tsps onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 brick of cream cheese

Soak beans in a bowl or pot overnight in 8 cups of cold water.

Drain and rinse beans after soaking. Place beans in a pot with 8 cups of water and diced onion (or dried onion). Cover with a lid and cook on high for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Once cooked (they should be fully tender when pierced with a fork), ladle out 1 3/4 cups of the water and reserve. Drain remaining water by pouring beans into a colander. Place beans, reserved 3/4 cups of water, butter, cream cheese, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and pepper in a blender.

Cover blender with lid and blend on low/medium speed for about 1 minute or until well blended. If it is too thick after blending, add more of your reserved water until its the right consistency.

Pour mixture into a large bowl, stir in shredded cheese. Serve warm with tortilla chips. Store in the fridge.