Bean Dip- quick, easy and frugal

Here is a recipe for a dip that can be altered to your personal tastes and to fit what items you may have on hand.  It makes for a very forgiving recipe as many things can be substituted and still yields a lot of dip and tastes great! Yield will very with items you use, but approx 5-6 cups, or if guesstimating for a party, about 12 people.
Great idea for last minute potluck or party ideas when you need a dish to pass or a an occasional snack or quick  meal alternative.  I originally had this at a party and wanted to recreate it, so below is the recipe that I used.  I also will list alternative ideas and costs for items used.  Original recipe was burger, Velveeta, salsa and re fried beans.

Bean Dip

1 lb of hamburger

spices (chili powder, paprika, pepper, cumin)
milk

1 can of Rotel (diced tomatoes and peppers)
1 16 oz can of re fried beans
1 can of Campbell's fiesta nacho cheese soup
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

In a medium sauce pan, chop up and brown the hamburger, then reduce heat to low/medium and add seasoning.  I didn't measure, just a little sprinkle of each depending on your preference.  Mix together and add shredded cheese until melted.  Add a little milk if desired.  You may not need this, but mine was a little too thick.  Add remaining ingredients and mix, stir occasionally while heating throughout.  Serve warm (in a crock pot to keep warm) with tortilla chips.  Makes about 5-6 cups of dip.



Alternative ideas:

Burger: substitute turkey burger, veggie crumbles or ground pork sausage.
Rotel: instead try using your favorite salsa (12-16 oz jar) or plain diced tomatoes
Fiesta Nacho cheese soup:  Originally called for Velveeta.  This would be a good idea as well, but can be pricey.  Could also use a jar of cheese sauce or shredded cheese and milk.
Re fried Beans:  If you don't have any on hand you could use black beans or pinto beans, cooked and mashed.
Seasoning: Use taco or chili seasoning mix if desired.  If you want a mild dip, omit extra seasoning.  You could also use a mild or hot salsa to spice it up, or a couple dashes of hot sauce.


Cost:

Burger- I had on hand frozen, so this did not cost extra, however usually I can find it on sale for about $2.89/lb
Rotel- on sale for $1- you can also find salsa often on sale for $1 or sometimes free with coupons.
Fiesta Nacho cheese soup- on sale for $1.25  Usually I think these are about $1.50.  There are often coupons for Campbell's condensed soups as well.  Alternatively, a small box of Velveeta is about $4.
Shredded cheese- I had some Sargento brand Mexican cheese on hand, I think I paid $2 on sale.
Re fried beans- generic store brand regular price for $.89.  I often find name brand on sale for about a dollar or less with 50% off sales (I seem to see those a lot for taco- related foods) and sometimes coupons as well.
Seasonings- I keep a good array of seasonings in my cabinet so this was no cost.  However, if you want to use a taco seasoning mix, they will run between $.60 and $1.00.
Tortilla chips I used were Margaritaville on sale for $2 a bag which seems to be about an average price for store brand chips regularly.

Overall total cost (not including items I had already on hand)- $5.14 / $.43 per serving.
Overall cost if I had bought items all outright (approx) $11 / $.92 per serving.