Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

the mountain

Recipe by
Lynn Dine
Tampa, FL

This is a Mexican appetizer that is addicting, one of my favorites. When it is completed, it looks like a snowy mountain, thus the name. It is a large appetizer that works great for parties. This does not include time for chilling. I got this from my friend Karen when I lived in California. Update (5/31/2013): I realized after a recent review and myself also making this recipe for a Memorial Day cookout, that I make my own changes to the recipe that I didn't add/edit original recipe when posting, so I have now added corrections to the onion/tomato mixture and amounts of cheese.

yield 14 serving(s)
prep time 25 Min
method Refrigerate/Freeze

Ingredients For the mountain

  • 2 lg
    tomatoes, diced
  • 1 md
    onion, minced
  • 8 oz
    monterey jack cheese, shredded or 2 cups monterey jack cheese
  • 8 oz
    cheddar cheese, shredded or 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 1 can
    (4 ounce) can green chilies, diced
  • 2
    ripe avocados
  • 1
    juice from 1 lemon or lime
  • 16 oz
    container sour cream
  • 1 oz
    package hidden valley ranch dressing
  • 1-2 bag
    tortilla chips

How To Make the mountain

  • 1
    Cut the tomatoes and remove any juice and the seeds, only using the remaining tomato flesh, otherwise, this will be a watery base.
  • 2
    Mix together tomatoes, onion and use as the bottom layer, shape into a hill.
  • 3
    Then add the cheeses from the bottom and all the way to the top evenly.
  • 4
    Take the pit out of avocados and scoop out the inside of them and put in a bowl. Add some lemon juice and mix(mash) into a spreadable mixture, now add the can of diced green chilies and mix thoroughly. Then spread this evenly over your hill.
  • 5
    Mix the hidden valley ranch mix with the sour cream and spread evenly over the green chilies.
  • 6
    Chill at least two hours. Serve with plain tortilla chips (I use the scoops) and watch it disappear!
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