A curious thing happened a few days after my Mango Chicken Chili recipe appeared in this column a few months back.
The chili recipe included mango salsa as a key ingredient. Figuring this might not be a regular grocery list item for many readers, I mentioned two reliable brands. Several days later, I received an appreciative email from one of those companies—Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa. I was amazed that they noticed this minor mention.
As a thank you, Jane, from Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa, kindly offered to send me several jars of salsa, and invited me to select whatever appealed to me from their online store. I, in turn, asked if she might also be willing to pass along the thoughtful gift to a lucky reader, to which she generously agreed…times three.
When I clicked over to the company website to claim my goodies, something caught my eye—a recipe for Mexican fudge. The unexpected ingredient list replaced sweet staples such as sugar and chocolate for savory additions like cheese and salsa. I was intrigued.
This easy, three-ingredient appetizer was, indeed, a success. When I brought a batch to a small get-together, I had immediate requests for the recipe. Everyone was surprised by the unique combination, and several remarked that a plateful of these tasty bites would make for crowd-pleasing Super Bowl fare.
I modified the original recipe slightly by reducing the amount of cheese and trying it with a combination of regular and low-fat cheese. This change eliminated any greasiness that can occur when cheese is baked, yet it did not detract from the flavor.
For more easy, cheesy appetizers…
(Offer expired) Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa has kindly offered to give 4 jars of salsa to each of 3 lucky readers. Winners may choose from any of the varieties in their online store. To enter, simply leave a comment below the following recipe. You have until Saturday, January 31, 2015 at 6:00 pm EST to enter. Good luck…and enjoy these delicious mouthfuls!
Yields 32-40 pieces.
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated reduced fat cheddar cheese (see notes)
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) Mrs. Renfro’s Green Salsa
- 3 eggs, well beaten
- Optional for serving: tortilla chips
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Sprinkle 3/4 cup (half) of each cheese over the bottom of a 9×9 or 11×7 baking dish. (There is no need to grease the dish.) Beat or whisk the eggs in a small bowl, and then thoroughly mix in the salsa.
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Drizzle the egg/salsa mixture evenly over cheese. Layer the remaining cheese on top.
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Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until the mixture is just set in the middle and the edges are a little crispy. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut in small squares and serve on tortilla chips. Gently reheat leftovers in the oven or toaster oven, if desired.
- As mentioned above, the combination of reduced fat and regular cheese provides the right texture without the greasiness that sometimes occurs when cheese is baked. If desired, you may use all regular cheddar cheese. For testing purposes, I used Sargento, an all-natural cheese, with excellent results. For a flavor variation, we also enjoyed this recipe with a combination of cheddar and Mexican blend cheese.
we use mexican queso in our bites! Ive been buying Mrs R since the mid 80’s. Back then the only place to get it was from a veggie stand behide the racetrack near my job in Los Alamintos Calif. Now that green salsa is the hardest to find in our markets because everyone wants the super hot varies.Too bad that veggie stand is a tire shop now!
It is a cold afternoon as I write this and the 3 ingredients baked in the oven sound delicious. I am baking this right away! The high quality of Mrs Renfroes’ products is what makes this recipe special.
Thanks for the opportunity, Ann and Mrs. Refno’s salsa. Cant wait to try! Love your articles and recipes.
Sounds yummy….i will have to try Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa! Thanks for the “Salsa Giveaway” opportunity!
Love green salsa and finding new ways to use it!
Yum, can’t wait to try these!
Thanks for the salsa opportunity….will be using some today in my meatloaf!….enjoy reading your articles every week
Wow, these look yummy!! Thanks for the giveaway, love their green salsa…always looking for new ways to use it
This recipe looks great and looks like the kind of recipe that can be played around with a lot. For instance Mrs. Renfro’s make many more choices of salsa, including Black Bean, Habanero, Chipotle corn, Peach, Garlic, Raspberry, Mango, Pineapple, Pomegranate Tequila Ghost Pepper and of course the Green Salsa mentioned in the above recipe. Some of these salsas could even be combined together to tailor make one’s own preferences of flavour/s. (Some of these above flavours may only be available in the USA.)
Also the cheese could be played around with too, using sharp white cheddar or other cheeses that have similar fat content.as the recommendations already made by Ann.
It appears that this recipe would be good for people who cannot have either wheat and/or sugar, however some of the fruit salsas may have an additional source of sweetener in them.( I could not find a list of ingredients for the salsas).
I look forward to trying this recipe many different ways!
You are right on all of the options, Krissie. If you’d like to see the ingredient list, it is available through Mrs. Renfro’s link, above. Just click on the individual jars and the whole nutritional profile will appear, too.
These look phenomenal! Looks to be a Superbowl snack-win! Yum yum!
I will be making these for a Super Bowl party and the host eats gluten free.
I’m sure she will appreciate this cheesy snack. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely trying these for super bowl! Since our favorite teams aren’t in it, it’s now even more about the food!
As long as you check the ingredients on the salsa, this would be a great GF recipe!
Happily, this salsa is gluten-free!
I love simple recipes like this with only 3 ingredients. I’m going to try it this weekend. The story behind Mrs. Renfro’s and it’s evolution is great too!
These cheese bites look good. Can’t wait to try the salsa!
these look terrific and easy to make too…also, Mrs. Renfro’s salsas look amazing, love their company story and that it’s a Texas company!
These look tasty. Isn’t is wonderful (and, surprising, these days) when a company truly practices customer service? I will look for Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa because of this.
I loved the Mango Chicken Chili. Now I am planning on making some of the recipes you shared for appetizers for a big Super Bowl party I am hosting.
Can’t wait to try these, as well as the recipes from your previous post. Is the store brand cheese acceptable for most of the recipes??
In most cases, store brand cheeses should work fine, Alicelynne!
These look great. I think my family will love them.