Tailgate Dip

With Labor Day behind us, days filled with sunscreen and tanlines are out; tailgating (also known to me as football season) is officially in. Back in college, decent food (as in, better than Tostitos or Cheez-Its) rarely made an appearance at the tailgates I attended - beer and liquor were always the guests of honor. I always ended up overpaying for bleh stadium food or leaving the football game early because I was famished. But when the parents (my own or my friends') arrived for a game, you knew there was gonna be good eats.

Between dips and wings and cheese plates and veggie trays, tailgates are definitely foodie heaven. I love to enjoy hot dips and appetizers as much as the next person, but sometimes they aren't the most practical tailgating food, unless portable ovens are now a thing.

I suppose people in the South figured out a solution to this problem a long time ago when they created a simple type of "caviar" comprised of beans, corn, tomatoes, and other things. My sister-in-law Allison who lives in Georgia has been creating her own version of this "Cowboy Caviar" dip for several years and is letting me share it with you!

This Tailgate Dip requires minimal preparation - canned black beans, corn, veggies, and feta cheese. It gets better the longer it's refrigerated, so make it the night before the tailgate for a real crowd-pleasing dip. 

Allison's Tailgate Dip

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans corn, partially drained
• 1 (10 ounce) can Hot Rotel Tomatoes, partially drained
• 1 (4 ounce) container crumbled Feta
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small avocados, diced

1. Mix all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips or other chips.