A quick and tasty dip for all those summer parties!

This is a fantastic dip that is served warm with tortilla chips.

Does your family have 'old favorites' that you just can't do without? This one is just that for my family.

Many a night we have enjoyed this dip gathered together around the television...yes we don't normally do that, but this one is just made for watching a movie together while we eat. I serve it with a mixed green salad and some fresh cut fruit. Then we pop in a movie, or turn on ESPN now that the boys are older and love their sports, and enjoy dinner.

This recipe is also great for taking to parties, showers, office 'munchie' days, or any other casual type gathering. Once you make the dip, just transfer it to a crock pot, plug it in, and set to a low setting. It will keep warm for hours (just remember to stir it every now and then).

Use whatever tortilla chips you prefer. I like the crispy rounds. The rounds tend to support this hearty dip better than some of the other varieties. Plus they are practically bite-sized. The scooped shaped ones are also a good choice, but I find that half of the bag of the scooped shaped are broken and easily used for this dip.

Sausage Dip

1 lb pork sausage (hot if you want a kick)
8 oz cream cheese
10 oz chunky salsa (mild...or medium for a bigger kick)
1 bag of tortilla chips

Break the sausage up into small pieces and place in a skillet. Keep chopping it smaller and smaller (you want it to blend in with the other ingredients, not be bit pieces of meat) and cook until done. After it is cooked, drain the grease away. (I also pat the sausage down with paper towels to remove as much of the grease as possible and I wipe out the skillet.)

Put the sausage back in the skillet and add the cream cheese and stir until melted over medium heat. Once the cream cheese is melted, add the salsa and stir until everything is combined. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve warm with the tortilla chips.