# Some Like it Hot - What's Your Favorite Hot Sauce



## Boog (Jan 31, 2013)

I'm sitting here dying folks!  I just opened up a bottle of "Dave's Gourmet Insanity Sauce" that my daughters got me for Christmas.  Now I like hot sauce, I'm not the toughest person in the world, but I can take it pretty hot!  They got me an assortment of small bottles for stocking stuffers, and I worked my way through two of them already without much to write home about.  I glanced at the ingredients of this one to see what kind of peppers it used, it only stated "Hot peppers, tomato paste, hot pepper extract, salt cane vinager, etc, etc........"   I applied a liberal dose over a roast pork and veggie dish I just made and started in on it.

WOW...............  This is HOT STUFF   This stuff hits you right on the tongue and lips worst 


I took another look at the bottle and it says "Use this product one drop at a time.  Keep away from eyes, pets, children.  Not for people with heart or respiratory problems"................  This isn't your regular liberally used sauce folks!  I'm going to go and get me a popsicle from the freezer!

So how about telling me what your favorite sauce is.  I'm not looking for the worst killer stuff you ever tried, I've seen them put together some stuff on the food channels that make your butt burn just watching it.  I'm looking for the best combination of heat and wonderful flavor combined!


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## Gary_602z (Jan 31, 2013)

Not really fond of sauces so much. I like my heat from peppers and such.

Gary


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## ChipTam (Feb 1, 2013)

Boog Powell said:


> I'm sitting here dying folks! I just opened up a bottle of "Dave's Gourmet Insanity Sauce" that my daughters got me for Christmas. Now I like hot sauce, I'm not the toughest person in the world, but I can take it pretty hot! They got me an assortment of small bottles for stocking stuffers, and I worked my way through two of them already without much to write home about. I glanced at the ingredients of this one to see what kind of peppers it used, it only stated "Hot peppers, tomato paste, hot pepper extract, salt cane vinager, etc, etc........" I applied a liberal dose over a roast pork and veggie dish I just made and started in on it.
> 
> WOW............... This is HOT STUFF  This stuff hits you right on the tongue and lips worst
> 
> ...


 
Clancy's fancy hot sauce from Ann Arbor, Michigan.  They've been around at least 30 years and offer the sauce in mild, hot, and extra-hot.  Besides being hot it also has a nice flavor.
ChipTam


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## legrandice (Feb 1, 2013)

I love hot sauce! I have probably 10 different ones in the fridge at all times. My buddy must have around 30 going at any one time! I really only like ones that do NOT have the pepper extract. I find that I enjoy the real taste of the different peppers. The extract is just used to make the sauce hotter without adding flavor. I am currently enjoying a quart sized jar of:

http://dragonsbloodelixir.com/

This guy makes so many different small batches of sauces depending on the season.


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## Jags (Feb 1, 2013)

For off the shelf - daily stuff, I like the habanaro Tabasco. I do like heat, but I also want the flavor. I really like the flavor of the hab pepper and this is a nice combo of the two.

Stuff like Dave's insanity and Da Bomb, etc. Are just hot for the sake of being hot. I will use them as an ingredient (like a few dashes into a pot of chili)


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 1, 2013)

Not a big fan of Dave's, or any that extract capsaicin and then add it back. They are hot, but harsh flavored and I don't want a sauce just to make a statement. 

I made my own this year with habaneros and garlic that I grew, carrots, vinegar, salt... It is my favorite. Just spectacular.

I also like El Yucateco, Melinda's, and even Pete's. many others, as well.


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## firefighterjake (Feb 1, 2013)

Dave's Insanity Sauce . . . oh that brings back memories . . . it was back when I was first hired by the BFD and brought in a left over BBQ steak sandwich that I learned to never leave my food unattended in the day room when other firefighters were around. Left to go answer the phone and came back . . . first bite and I knew my sandwich had been spiked as there was an incredible burning sensation in my mouth . . . well that and there was tee-heeing and the firefighters sitting at the table next to mine were all a-twitter. I tried to keep eating the sandwich, but finally had to give up . . . fortunately there was some milk in the refrigerator.


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 1, 2013)

When I just want heat in a dish, I had a bumper crop of habaneros this year- I add them dried or frozen. They are hot, but have a citrusy flavor that is just great.


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## Jags (Feb 1, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> I made my own this year with habaneros and garlic that I grew, carrots, vinegar, salt... It is my favorite. Just spectacular.


 
Did you can this stuff, or is it a refrigerator storage?


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 1, 2013)

I canned it. Thinking about making more- if I do, I'll send you a jar.


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## Jags (Feb 1, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> I canned it. Thinking about making more- if I do, I'll send you a jar.


 
Awesome.  Pressure can or water bath?


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## firebroad (Feb 1, 2013)

Plain old Tabasco, just for the flavor.  For heat, I will grown a variety of peppers (ceyanne comes to mind) to dry and use.
I have friends who know I love spicy food, and they try to offer me some of those products that melt the lining from your tongue.  They don't understand, it's not pain I am after, just pep.


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 1, 2013)

Jags said:


> Awesome.  Pressure can or water bath?


It's a high vinegar recipe, and approved for water bath.


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## firebroad (Feb 1, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> I canned it. Thinking about making more- if I do, I'll send you a jar.


Sounds delicious.  I tried to make hot sauce once, but it wasn't all that great.


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## Badfish740 (Feb 1, 2013)

Call me old fashioned, but I like good old Frank's Red Hot.  It will be (as always) a main ingredient of my Super Bowl wings this weekend along with garlic and butter.


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## Jags (Feb 1, 2013)

I will admit that Franks Red hot Xtra hot - resides in my fridge.


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## lukem (Feb 1, 2013)

I don't care for the vinegary hot sauces that much.  Makes whatever you put them on taste like salt and vinegar...and aren't really hot enough for my taste.  There a a few that I can tolerate that are in the Mexican food section.

If I want some heat I just add some powered chilis (habs, japs, whatever)...grow them in the garden...smoke them (optional)...dry them...then give them hell in the blender.  Sprinkle a little in or on whatever you like.


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## firebroad (Feb 1, 2013)

lukem said:


> I don't care for the vinegary hot sauces that much. Makes whatever you put them on taste like salt and vinegar...and aren't really hot enough for my taste. There a a few that I can tolerate that are in the Mexican food section.
> 
> If I want some heat I just add some powered chilis (habs, japs, whatever)...grow them in the garden...smoke them (optional)...dry them...then give them hell in the blender. Sprinkle a little in or on whatever you like.


That's why I love Tabasco.  Ingredients are peppers and salt.  And very little of the salt.


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## lukem (Feb 1, 2013)

My uncle makes incredible home-made hot sauce.  I'll have to get his recipe and post it.


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## Delta-T (Feb 1, 2013)

I have a haircutting customer who makes his own hot sauce...he gives to me...I call it "Rob's Hot Sauce" (his name is Rob)...is pretty hot, and a bit sweet, not so much vinegar...is quite good on the porks. I put crushed reds on most everything from breakfast cereal to milkshakes (is exaggeration,mostly just on meaty things) for a bit of "who's your daddy"...sometimes my wife goes a bit crazy with the hot peppers and tries to pretend she didn't put them in things until my nose is running and I just stuff tissues up my nostril so I can keep eating. I wouldn't say I like it that hot, but I think, she thinks I do. I think sometimes she thinks she's training me to be some type of competative eater.


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## FrankMA (Feb 1, 2013)

The hottest "hot sauce" I have ever had is called Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce aka Ghost Peppers and is made by the Tropical Pepper Company. Ghost Peppers register over 500,000 Scoville Units on the Scoville Scale *Scoville scale* - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. These will melt your mouth Here's another link: *Ghost Pepper* - *Tropical Pepper Company*


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## Delta-T (Feb 1, 2013)

i wouldn't even touch the bottle....i've seen ghost chilis on the TV and it made my eyes water.


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## Boog (Feb 1, 2013)

Badfish740 said:


> Call me old fashioned, but I like good old Frank's Red Hot. It will be (as always) a main ingredient of my Super Bowl wings this weekend along with garlic and butter.





Jags said:


> I will admit that Franks Red hot Xtra hot - resides in my fridge.


 
I grew up in Buffalo with the Bills of course, hung with them till they lost the Superbowl for the 4th time. Then I finally began rooting for my Ohio home team, the Browns, and Model moved them to Baltimore where they won the Superbowl there, only as the new Ravens. 

Being born in "55", I grew up during the era when Chicken Wings were "_*Invented*_" at the Anchor Bar during a blizzard. Local vinager based sauces on wings are what I grew up on. Franks Red Hot was a local brand that went big time, and is a regular stocking in my fridge too.

Like many of you I grow my own and freeze a little for adding to dishes as I cook them. Used to can and such when I was younger but have not for many years, still have all my jars and such. How about posting up a few recipes too? Especially interested in all those little secret extra flavor enhancing ingredients you all use!


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## Boog (Feb 1, 2013)

FrankMA said:


> The hottest "hot sauce" I have ever had is called Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce aka Ghost Peppers and is made by the Tropical Pepper Company. Ghost Peppers register over 500,000 Scoville Units on the Scoville Scale *Scoville scale* - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. These will melt your mouth Here's another link: *Ghost Pepper* - *Tropical Pepper Company*





Delta-T said:


> i wouldn't even touch the bottle....i've seen ghost chilis on the TV and it made my eyes water.


 
That sounds like real scary chit!  You have me interested in some seeds now.  I googled "ghost pepper seeds" after reading your links an found this great looking place.  Serious seeds for sale and recipes and such too!

http://www.pepperjoe.com/


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## fox9988 (Feb 1, 2013)

I'm addicted to Frank's. I drown almost everything in it. Drives the wife and kids crazy.


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## Danno77 (Feb 1, 2013)

Adios mentioned it, but I really like El Yucateco. It comes in several different versions, but the green stuff comes in around 9000 on the Scoville scale. They make a habanaero version that is around 11,000 but I can't find it in stores around me. I'm very picky about my hot sauces, they have to be hot but they also have to have good flavor. To give you an idea of how hot the green stuff is Original Tobasco has a rating of around 2-5k (I don't know why the big range).

The thing with hot sauces and their heat rating, though, is that you aren't drinking the crap straight, so you could just add more of a weaker sauce and get your dish up to the same spiciness.


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 1, 2013)

Danno77 said:


> Adios mentioned it, but I really like El Yucateco. It comes in several different versions, but the green stuff comes in around 9000 on the Scoville scale. They make a habanaero version that is around 11,000 but I can't find it in stores around me. I'm very picky about my hot sauces, they have to be hot but they also have to have good flavor. To give you an idea of how hot the green stuff is Original Tobasco has a rating of around 2-5k (I don't know why the big range).
> 
> The thing with hot sauces and their heat rating, though, is that you aren't drinking the crap straight, so you could just add more of a weaker sauce and get your dish up to the same spiciness.


Ya, the green el Yucateco is the one that I like


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## Elderthewelder (Feb 1, 2013)

fox9988 said:


> I'm addicted to Frank's. I drown almost everything in it. Drives the wife and kids crazy.


 Franks Red Hot, I put that Sh!t on everything
http://www.franksredhot.com/


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## midwestcoast (Feb 2, 2013)

I can't take much of the really hot stuff so I mostly stick to the classic Cholula.  I do have a bottle of something called Jungle Heat from Cost Rica that I use sparingly. Made with Jolokia (sp?) and Habanero peps.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 2, 2013)

Food ain't supposed to hurt.


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## Boog (Feb 2, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Food ain't supposed to hurt.


 
Yeah, you're right, I guess you can't call flaming shots of mezcal food now can you!


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## Jags (Feb 4, 2013)

Danno77 said:


> The thing with hot sauces and their heat rating, though, is that you aren't drinking the crap straight, so you could just add more of a weaker sauce and get your dish up to the same spiciness.


 
Not entirely true, Danno.  You can't make a sauce "hotter" than it is.  I can drink Tabasco (or Franks), so no matter how much you add to something, you can't make it any hotter than straight...and Tabasco is used at the children's table.


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## Danno77 (Feb 4, 2013)

Jags, I said that (while you can) you generally aren't drinking it straight, so my reference was to a dish which gets the sauce added. You can make a bloody mary with 1oz of something that's 10,000 on the scoville scale, or you can make it with 2oz of something that's 5,000 and you'd end up near the same for your drink. (actually, i don't remember if it's a linear scale, but you get the idea)


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## Jags (Feb 4, 2013)

Danno77 said:


> (actually, i don't remember if it's a linear scale, but you get the idea)


 
The scale is linear, but the difference between 5000 and 10000 really isn't that much. (heck, some peppers are into the hundreds of thousands)

My point was that there is no way you can add enough Franks, to match 10 drops of Da Bomb in a pot of chili (as an example).


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## lukem (Feb 4, 2013)

I've never made this, but have tasted it...pretty good stuff.

120            whole  Chiles -- dried hot chiles, or about 1 gallon
 4               cups  Onion -- sliced 1/2" thick
 4               cups  cider vinegar
 24            cloves  garlic -- sliced
 2               cups  ketchup
    1/2           cup  sugar
 12             pints  water
 4          teaspoons  salt

Use any type of peppers, I like a combination of Jalapeno, Habenero, Hungarian Wax, Salsa and even sweet bell peppers.  

Remove stems from chiles.  Combine all ingredients in a pan and cover.
Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 hours, until the chiles are very soft
and the liquid has been reduced by about half.

Allow to cool, and run through a food mill to remove seeds and skins.

 To can, reheat the sauce to boiling and pack in sterile jars. Process in a hot water bath for 10-15 minutes.


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## tbuff (Feb 4, 2013)

Franks-- "I put that **** on everything"


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## jeromehdmc (Feb 4, 2013)

I like sauces that have a kick but have good flavor also. I tried some ghost pepper stuff and it was too much.
We have a place here that makes their own sauces and some for others also. They sometimes have test batches on sale
for a couple dollars a bottle. The only thing wrong with that is you might not get the same recipe again.
http://www.originaljuan.com/


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## midwestcoast (Feb 4, 2013)

Oh, I just figured out that the Jolokia peppers ARE Ghost Peppers. I dunno much about this hot sauce stuff, but now don't feel like a wuss for having to measure the Jungle Heat out by the fractional drop.


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## Hearth Mistress (Feb 5, 2013)

I don't like to be in pain, but I like a good hint of heat as long as it's got a good flavor. I worked with a guy who grew ghost peppers for local restaurants. He made his own sauces and everything. It was the new employee hazing, he'd make something like a pumpkin or apple pie but put those dang peppers in it. People would be on the floor crying for their mothers and others would eat it like it was nothing. Not my idea of food enjoyment but to each his own, it never got old watching these guys think they could "handle" the heat and be in the fetal position on the floor a few minutes later.

I cook with cholula but my go to sauce, I buy by the case is Bufalo Chipotle, $1 a bottle. It says "very hot" on the bottle but it isn't really. I love the smokey chipotle stuff.

I second the green El Yucateo, that's hot but good flavor. 

My hubby likes the asian  Sriracha but I'm not a fan.

Frank's red hot and ranch dressing/dip is a great sauce for fish tacos or spicy dip, another go to favorite


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## Boog (Feb 10, 2013)

I just came across this article in the news today listing the _*10 Hottest Sauces in the World.*_   Thought the rest of you pepper lovers would find the info interesting.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/world-s-10-spiciest-hot-sauces-slideshow

Enjoy!


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## eclecticcottage (Feb 11, 2013)

I didn't know Franks was national.  Franks is the only one I use, I'm not much for hot sauce.  We put franks/butter on wings, that's about it for me and hot sauce.


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## Wildo (Feb 11, 2013)

Makes my mouth water just reading about them. I'm stocked with La.,Frank's,Cholula(the best on fish)green Tabasco(for eggs), Canceaux out of Portland(check it out great flavor),ran out of trop. pep. co.(also great flavor), we got some stuff called Pickle Licker from Farmington,Me. that was a ghost pepper sauce and ridiculously hot but had good flavor after about 20 minutes of _*HOT.*_  my friend who eats hotter stuff than Dave's thought he was tough until I gave him a bottle of Da Bomb.  He ate a teaspoon of it sayin how tough he was and couldn't feel his face for an hour(just like that scene from Blow)a camera woulda been worth a million for that one.  He did use the whole bottle in under a month though, the *fool*.


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## swagler85 (Feb 11, 2013)

Marie Sharps Belezian Heat! This stuff is hot. I LOVE hot sauce but they must have flavor too, Belezian Heat is the best Ive ever that combines both heat and really good flavor. Hard to find the flavor is amazing.


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## Boog (Feb 14, 2013)

I was in the store earlier today and saw they now have _*FRANK"S EXTRA HOT RED HOT SAUCE.*_   Grabbed two bottles, never saw that around here before!  Same great Frank's flavor with a definite bit of extra punch!


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## Jags (Feb 15, 2013)

Boog Powell said:


> I was in the store earlier today and saw they now have _*FRANK"S EXTRA HOT RED HOT SAUCE.*_ Grabbed two bottles, never saw that around here before! Same great Frank's flavor with a definite bit of extra punch!


 
That is the franks that I go for, if I go for franks.


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## tickbitty (Feb 16, 2013)

I like the Tabascos, the regular, green, and smoked chipotle ones.  Also like that green kind, a mexican brand I can't think of the name at the moment.  
Trying to get ahold of this Korean stuff out of Richmond VA that is supposed to be amazing, KimKim. http://foodspring.com/content/kimkim-korean-hot-sauce/


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## begreen (Feb 16, 2013)

firebroad said:


> That's why I love Tabasco. Ingredients are peppers and salt. And very little of the salt.


 
I like tabasco sauce on a Spanish omlette but not on a lot of other dishes because of the vinegar in it. That imparts too strong a flavor into some dishes where you just want heat and pepper flavor. For that I like either fresh or dried peppers. We have nice dried batches of thai red peppers and bulgarian carrot peppers that we use with lots of dishes. For a general hot sauce, I like to use sriracha sauce.





If you want to try a Korean hot sauce with a lot of depth and delicious flavor try Go-chu-jang. It's slightly garlicky sweet with a kick of pepper that makes for great dips, marinades and overall flavor enhancement.

http://www.anniechun.com/our-food/gochujang-sauce


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## corey21 (Feb 16, 2013)

My stomach cant handle hot sauce.


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## ScotO (Feb 22, 2013)

I used to LOVE super hot sauce......Dave's Insanity was a good one, it didn't take much either!  I grew habaneros in the garden for several years until I had a cross pollenation incident (green peppers in fried potatoes that made the wife REALLY mad.....), but since I've been having gluten issues I just cannot handle really REALLY hot sauce anymore.....the wicked hot stuff makes me hiccup like crazy (yeah, weird isn't it?)

But I can still handle Frank's Red Hot and Tabasco sauce, and I love that stuff on all kinds of food.  Here's a simple recipe you can try with your Frank's if you like nachos.....

1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
1/4 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1/4 cup Tostitos dipping cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or 1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic)
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese.

Mix all ingredients (except the parmesan) in a small bowl and microwave till the cheese melts a little.  Then mixe together with a fork until blended, and sprinkle the parm on top......

Great with nachos, or even as a hot wing sauce.......


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## Dix (Feb 22, 2013)

Scotty, if you're gonna make nacho's you gotta use real cheese 

Just sayin'


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## ScotO (Feb 22, 2013)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> Scotty, if you're gonna make nacho's you gotta use real cheese
> 
> Just sayin'


You can (and I have) use cheddar cheese, but it gets all funky when you mix it with the ranch dressing.....gets all 'curdled' looking.....must be the oils in the ranch dressing...


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## Dix (Feb 22, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> You can (and I have) use cheddar cheese, but it gets all funky when you mix it with the ranch dressing.....gets all 'curdled' looking.....must be the oils in the ranch dressing...


 

You have to make a roux first, then add milk, then cheese.... kinda like making real mac & cheese.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2013)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> Scotty, if you're gonna make nacho's you gotta use real cheese
> 
> Just sayin'


 
I'm with you Dix.

The second two ingredients do not sound like good stuff. It's pretty easy to make a cheese dip with whole ingredients and not all the crap.
Tostitos cheese dip: 
	

		
			
		

		
	





Hidden Valley Ranch is not much better:
Vegetable oil (likely GMO), egg yolk, sugar, salt, buttermilk, spices, garlic, onion, vinegar, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, modified food starch, MSG, artificial flavors, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid, calcium disodium EDTA, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.


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## Dix (Feb 22, 2013)

begreen said:


> I'm with you Dix.
> 
> The second two ingredients do not sound like good stuff. It's pretty easy to make a cheese dip with whole ingredients and not all the crap.
> Tostitos cheese dip:
> ...


 

AND, if you have a smallish crockpot, and keep it on the lowest setting, it'll feed a crowd. Just need to refill from the main stash


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2013)

This is inspiring. If you have a wood stove going and a trivet +a  pot, you have a crock pot. My older son loves nachos. I'm going to fix up a batch with whole ingredients. Layer some fresh cooked black beans, homemade salsa, chips, and top with cheese, guacamole and spicy salsa. I'm drooling already.


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## Dix (Feb 22, 2013)

begreen said:


> This is inspiring. If you have a wood stove going and a trivet +a pot, you have a crock pot. My older son loves nachos. I'm going to fix up a batch with whole ingredients. Layer some fresh cooked black beans, homemade salsa, chips, and top with cheese, guacamole and spicy salsa. I'm drooling already.


 
Yeppers............ hold the guac until the end... IMHO.

Avacado's hate alot of heat.


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## begreen (Feb 22, 2013)

Oh definitely. Avocado is the coup de grace. My son likes black olives added too.


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