Loaded Colorado Caviar is a deluxe version of the classic Cowboy Caviar, with black beans, corn, bell pepper, garlic, chiles …. and bacon. Satisfying and great as a side or even a meal
Waay back in 2007, I published Colorado Caviar – a yummy variation on Cowboy Caviar. And very easy to make! Back in 2019, I went to my Denver Bloggers Club catered by Mad Greens. Guess what they served? (Among other scrumptious dishes) Cowboy Caviar – a new dish on their menu. I’ve had lots of Cowboy Caviar before, but this was the first one I had with bacon in it. What a fabulous addition! Makes it really irresistible. So I had to make my own version. I went one step further by adding avocado. You could eat this dish as a full meal. Between the bacon and avocado, which is more important? The bacon by far. This dish has so much flavor the avocado has more impact on the texture than the flavor, but the bacon is a real standout. They still have it on their menu, so if you don’t have time to cook, you can order a batch of Cowboy Caviar from Mad Greens. They still have it on their menu in 2025. On the other hand, this is a super simple recipe, and easy to double or quadruple for a big Super Bowl party.
So here’s a great addition to your Super Bowl game day menu – easy to make and likely to be unique on the buffet table. It’s a guaranteed hit, and it’s even healthy.
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
- 1 cup kalamata olives, finely diced
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp medium hot diced green chiles
- (or add diced jalapeno to taste)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 4-6 strips bacon (depending on thickness), fried crisp and crumbled
- optional: 1 medium avocado, peeled and chopped
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Sautee garlic in oil over medium heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Turn off heat and stir in green chiles and then balsamic vinegar. (Vinegar will splatter if added directly to hot mixture). Mix well and add salt.
- Pour the garlic-green chile mixture over the beans, olives, and corn in the bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Add the cilantro and stir.
- Stir in bacon bits and (if desired, the chopped avocado)
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.
- Note: You may want to add more cilantro, green chiles, or
- jalapeno to taste.
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