Check out the bottom of this post for the recipe for Jala Jala Cheese Dip and for links to all the places we ate, where we stayed, and more!
From time to time I am blessed to be able to get together with some of my blogging buddies and galavant to fun places.
Recently, Stacey from SouthernBite, Brandie from Country Cook, and myself headed down to Mexico City Beach in Florida for a few days to check out this wonderful town, collaborate on some work, and spend a little time in the kitchen. We did a few Facebook Live videos on our pages and received a challenge from some of y’all to come up with a new recipe based solely on ingredients we had on hand. VOILA!
This fabulous Jala Jala Chicken Cheese Dip is the result – and this stuff is good!
The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post but before you get to that, I wanted to show you around Mexico City Beach a bit.
Have you ever felt like you had stepped into a movie? That is how I felt the entire time we were in this town. The people all knew each other, so they instantly spotted us as visitors, and immediately welcomed us with warm smiles and the utmost hospitality everywhere we went. It was the kind of greeting you usually only get when you go home to visit your grandparents and they act as if just seeing you made their day. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with sincerity, warmth, and welcome. I have truly never experienced anything like it.
We found our van!
The beach itself is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. Pristine, untouched, appreciated, and cared for. In a word, serene. When folks imagine going to the beach to relax, this is the beach that pops up in your mind.
There are a lot of great local restaurants and we made sure to try out a few.
I have to admit that, while they were all wonderful, breakfast at Sharon’s was my favorite. Again, it was like going home. This is the kind of place you want to go with a book and just drink coffee all day long.
Killer Seafood definitely lived up to it’s name and yours truly, a self avowed non seafood lover, actually ate a fish taco!
In true Southern fashion, we ate so much at Toucan’s that we just about had to roll out the door. Check out that view though!
It’s fun to get photos with friends looking like they are angry at their water bottle in the background…
I have never had a more relaxing beach trip nor came upon a town as warm and welcoming as Mexico City Beach. This is truly a special treasure of the south. I hope you’ll pay your own visit if the opportunity arises, you’ll be forever grateful that you did.
Details from our trip:
We stayed at a wonderful condo at Sharktooth Views at Tranquil Harbor, which is managed by Gulf Coast Vacation Rentals
We ate at:
- Graba Java
- Killer Seafood
- Toucan’s
- Sharon’s Cafe (MUST do breakfast stop, tell Sharon we said “hi!”)
We took a chartered boat cruise with KC Sportfishing
Our secret ingredient:
Jala Jala Salsa – I highly recommend you try their famous pepper jellies, too!
You can see our Facebook Live Videos below:
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
- 1 5-ounce can white meat chicken, drained
- 1 cup salsa
Instructions
- Stir ingredients together vigorously until well blended. Serve with tortilla chips.
You might also enjoy this recipe! Christy’s Number 5 BBQ Sauce
Yum 
You mean Mexico Beach ! “City ” is not in the name . I have eaten at Toucan’s and live nearby in Panama City.