Black Bean Raspberry Dip

I grew up close to Manhattan, Kansas (The Little Apple!). Tucked away in Aggieville is this unassuming restaurant called So Long Saloon and they make this killer black bean dip. It has a layer of spicy raspberry preserves and a layer of savory cream cheese. I've been thinking about this dip for many years (I haven't lived there since 2007, to give you an idea). A few months ago, I figured I'd search online to see if anyone else had experienced this magic appetizer and, to my surprise, one of my favorite food bloggers has, and wrote a recipe up for it. My recipe below is an adaption of hers (the main difference is that I've written out how I create the raspberry layer, because I couldn't find the store-bought version she uses). I also apparently didn't take any photos of my process (which is very unlike me), so I guess I have an excuse to make this again (& then update this post). I hope you enjoy this dip as much as I have!


Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients
for black bean dip
One (1) 15-ounce can of black beans
One (1) tablespoon of taco seasoning (here is my recipe for homemade seasoning)
1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
--
for spicy raspberry preserves
Six (6) ounces of raspberry preserves (these can be homemade or store-bought)
4-5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, deseeded
--
 for savory cream cheese
Eight (8) ounces of container cream cheese
One (1) tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced*
Two (2) cloves of garlic, minced*
*if you don't have or want to use onions or garlic, you can sub with onion powder and garlic powder (2 teaspoons each)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
Mix entire can of black beans and taco seasoning together in a medium-sized bowl.
Use a fork or potato masher to mash the black beans a bit (it shouldn't be paste, but it should be somewhat mushed - you do the consistency that you like).
Spoon black bean mixture into a medium-sized baking dish and set aside.
On the stovetop, heat oil and saute onion and garlic together until fragrant.
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, onions and garlic.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the center of the black bean dip (you can make a well).
In a food processor, mix raspberry preserves and chipotle peppers until completely blended.
Spoon the raspberry mixture into the center of the cream cheese mixture (you can make a well).
Sprinkle jack cheese on the top of the dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until warmed all the way through.
Serve with chips (or bread, or any other vessel you need to get as much of this dip in your face at once).
Enjoy!