No time for something fancy to take to a gathering? Too tired or rushed to put much effort into a sharing snack? My “daughter-in-love” is the master of two-or-three ingredient appetizers that pack a big punch for flavor and appeal.

We needed such a hat trick the other day when nerves from life events were stretched thin, time was short, and there was an end-of-season community pool social time in a couple of hours.

We longed for a relaxing event of outdoor conversation, drinks, and shared snacks, but lacked the bandwidth for something requiring much thought or effort.

Presto! Brooke’s Two-ingredient cheese spread! Wow!

Sharing this extended vacation time post is as easy as this recipe. Expect to be dazzled!

Two-Ingredient Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

One 8 ounce/226 grams package of full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

Approximately 9 ounces/258 grams Trader Joe’s Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa

Method:

Combine with a fork. Refrigerate to meld the flavors 30 minutes. Stir and serve. Done.

Notes:

This Trader Joe’s product may not be available to everyone, so you can use a local equivalent that features “a sweet combination of corn, red peppers, onion, and a touch of heat.” The gentle heat comes from jalapeño peppers.

This recipe represents using approximately 2/3 – 3/4 of a 13.75 ounce/390 gram jar. I plan on stocking up on several jars of this Trader Joe’s salsa to take back home with me.

Serve with gluten-free crackers, whole wheat Ritz, or your favorite selection of bell pepper strips, celery, or zucchini slices.

This tastes like you spent considerable time and effort into creating. Don’t tell anyone it was a last-minute miracle!

In health and still on vacation-

Deidre