From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to see old things made new again. Over the holidays we were served a long retired beef and cheese dip that I'm very fond of. While I love its taste, I even more enamored of the ease with which it can be prepared. I especially like this recipe because the ingredients can be reduced by half to produce a quantity that's perfect for smaller gatherings. I shouldn't admit this, but I 'm a fan of dips. I 'm fond of those made with ingredients that make those more sophisticated than me shudder. I dip freely into mixtures made with dehydrated mixes, so it should come as no surprise that I occasionally serve one made with dried beef. There are many versions of this on the net. This version is my refinement of the recipe to suit the tastes of my family. I always serve this warm from the oven with thinly sliced French bread or an assortment of good crackers. It's perfect football fodder.

Warm Beef and Cheese Dip with Pecans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

2 (8-oz.) packages of cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup grated onion and juice

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 (2-1/2-oz.) jars dried beef, finely minced

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions:

1) Combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion and juice and garlic in a small bowl. Mix until smooth and light. Fold in minced beef. Transfer to a bake and serve dish. Top with toasted pecans.

2) Preheat oven to 300 degree F. Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with good bread and crackers. Yield: 2-1/2 cups.