Monterey Jack Salsa

This was wonderful-definitely needs time in the fridge so the flavors can blend properly. It tasted even better the second day. I served this to some friends, and now my friend's husband is constantly requesting this!

vey good - very filling. I used only half the italian dressing, and used 2 (14 oz)cans of diced tomatoes, and 2 avocadoes. Served at my husband's birthday party (made the salsa the night before) and received many compliments, and requests for the recipe.

Delicious and not like any other salsa I've ever had. The secret is to let it set overnight. I tasted it right after I'd made it... Yuck! I thought I'd wasted my time and ingredients. I didn't throw it out though, and the next day it was Wonderful!! My family always requests it now!

I took this salsa to a party & it was a total hit! I was disappointed that I didn't make a batch for myself to eat at home. I followed some suggestions & used 1/4-1/2 cup of dressing, chopped garlic & a jalapeno. I also used ColbyJack cheese. This is a perfect summer salsa...very refreshing. I will be making this again & again.

THIS is a keeper! I like this recipe better w/o the avocado but either way it's unbelieveable! I don't use the MSG however it is usually gone before it is put on the table so I don't see a need to! PS-the cilantro MAKES this recipe!! I usually put a little extra. MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IF YOU LET MARINATE OVERNIGHT. I have tasted it right after making and wanted to throw it away. I didn't and decided to try it later on and the taste was amazing!

This was a HIT! I wonder if others who made it may've missed the "Zesty Italian" salad dressing? I believe that it's intended to mean Good Seasons (packet mix) Zesty Italian... I used it and made with red vinegar. Also, dropped the MSG, too. Yum!

I gave it a four because it doesn't look so good. It tastes good though. I omitted the olives and MSG. I used diced jalapeño instead of green chile because I wanted it hotter. I'll use slightly less Italian dresing next time.

Every woman in the room requests this recipe when I take it somewhere! It is always a hit! It definitely makes a difference if you wait to serve it the next day. Thanks for a great recipe!

This definitely gets better the longer it sits. I would reccomend not getting an italian dressing that is really strong, as it can overpower everything else.

Wonderful! My entire family likes this salsa, including my 4 and 6 year old.

This was really tasty. I am only giving it a 4 instead of a 5 because after it sat over night, the mix of olives and avocado turned the salsa a very unappetizing dark brown/black color. It still tasted great, it just didn't look that good. I doubled this recipe when I made it, and I only used a total of one cup of zesty italian dressing. This was plenty. I may or may not try this again.... We shall see.

As other's have said, this looks less than appetizing but boy does the taste make up for it! I mixed the diced avocados with the prepared Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing first, to coat the pieces (I was worried about oxidation) and then mixed in everything else (except the MSG, which I omitted!) and let it sit in the fridge for about 10 hours before trying. Delish and no brown avocado pieces (at this time it's been 24 hours since it was prepared)! But we do like heat so after trying several mouthfuls I added 3 Tbls. minced hot peppers and now it's really great! Thanks Debra!

Definitely a dip that I have made time and again. Unique blend of flavors - even the kids gobbled this up.

Debra, this is wonderful! I used more cheese and added chipotle chili pepper powder for a little kick. I mixed the dressing with the avocado right away and did not have problems with it turning. I made the evening before, refrigerated it, and set it out about 30 minutes before serving. Everyone hocered over it until it was gone. It really isn't THAT ugly of a salsa...

I have never given a recipe review before but was coerced by a couple of friends who have tried this dish. One of them does not like black olives-loves this! The other does not like avocadoes-loves this! I have presented this several times to various gatherings and it is always a hit! It is a nice mix and can be spiced 'up' or 'down' with the different ingredients. Try this and expect demands for the recipe. P.S. Love this web site!!

Very addictive dip, loved it!

I have been making this salsa for over 4 years and have been asked for the recipe countless times. Those that I have shared this recipe with have also passed it on to many who appreciate this unique salsa. You won’t be disappointed if you try this recipe as an appetizer for your next gathering. I did make a couple of changes by only using 1/2 cup of the dressing, which I think is plenty, and omitting the MSG.

This is the best salsa I have tried in a long time..We have potlucks at work about every other month and this salsa is on the list to bring each time..At first I thought there would be too much dressing so I only used 1/2 of it,but I ended up mixing the rest in the next day. I also put in a little more tomatoes,avocado and olives...Thanks Debra for the recipe...

Huh...who woulda thought?? This IS fabulous, and received compliment after compliment. I did however skip the MSG and added salt in it's place. I actually thought of tossing this with some pasta for an easy dinner for tomorrow. I ended up using Kraft "crumbles" for the cheese which worked very well in this. Next time I will add red onion and jalapeno. Thanks so much Debra for the nice salsa alternative....LOVED it!!

this is a great recipe!! I used pepper jack cheese it was very good. Everyone always loves it and asks me for the recipe!

this was a big hit!!! it is so tasty! it's great on top of grilled chicken!

My friend made this recipe last night and modified it by using a 4-cheese blend (maybe Sargento?), Rotel instead of tomatoes, a bit of garlic powder and leaving out the Italian dressing. It was absolutely delicious!

Whenever you take this anywhere be prepared to hand out the recipe over and over-somebody ALWAYS asks for it.Thanks for sharing.

I made this for a women's club meeting and everyone was impressed...served with tortilla chips...my boys and I ate the leftovers on taco salad. It's not a hot salsa, but it's got a lot of flavor and well worth every effort. Good stuff!

Everytime I make this, I get requests for the recipe. Like the other reviews, I also omitted the MSG. I doubled the tomatoe and avocado, and add a little fresh time juice. For added kick, I like to add some chopped jalepenos. It is really great served with "lime flavored" tortillia chips.

Excellent salsa. Full of flavor, and very fresh! I did, however, put less onion and more tomato, but thats just because I love tomatoes.

Loved it! Made the night before my 4th of July party and it turned out great! Used a packet of Good Seasonings Zesty Italian and it made about 3/4 c dressing which was plenty. If I had to describe the taste I would say it is kind of like a layered mexican dip(minus the refried beans)but all mixed together. Really good...even poeple who didn't like blk olives or avacado liked the dip as a whole!

I know I'm in the minority here, but I really didn't care for this at all. I think I should have gone with my gut instinct, because the ingredients just didn't seem to mesh well in my mind. Now I have a big bowl of this sitting in my fridge because I didn't want to bring it to the party I had made it for. Also, it's not very pleasing to the eye. It's quite possible that I used a 1/2 cup of extra cheese, as I was guesstimating (packed cups vs. unpacked cups). I guess that my advice is to look at the ingredients and decide if you think they will go together well on your tastebuds.

Really good, seems and looks odd, but good

I'm sorry, but i'm not crazy to add (MSG) to my food. MSG was found to cause a lot of health problems and the efforts are now made to try and get the FDA to label all the products that contain MSG so that people can be aware. so if i were you, i would not use it and try and read more about it for the sake of your health!!! if i were to give this recipe a -0 i would..

What a hit! Made this for 4th of July BBQ and everyone wanted the recipe! I used less Italian dressing (about 1/2 cup) and pureed an extra tomato. Will be making this over and over again!!

This was very different and very good. My hubby practically ate the whole bowl himself. He wants me to make it when "the guys" are over to watch "the games" (football). Perfect with Torengos tortilla chips. Thanks for a good one!

Hi Everybody. I'm so happy that most everone loves the recipe as much as I do. I enjoy all the variations. I've stopped using the Mrs. Dash, too. I also use more tomotoes, especially when they are in season and look beautiful in the store. This is a fun recipe to add to and take away from based on the seasons and your taste buds. My next variation will be to use a Balsamic Vinagrette in place of the Italian Dressing. Please, please make this a day ahead. It makes all the difference in the world. :-)

This is delicious and so easy. I used 1/2 cup of Italian dressing (what I had on hand), although next time I'll probably use Seven Seas Zesty Italian for more kick.

Excellent dip, a nice change from other dips.

I left out the MSG and we still thought this was very, very salty. It's a good change of pace, though.

I leave out the MSG and the avocado. It is a favorite for parties and family gatherings. We love this recipe.

Maybe the MSG is the key ingredient here because I left it out and there was a definite aftertaste. I got mixed reviews from family members, my husband loved it, my dad thought it tasted sour. I assume it was the Italian dressing that caused the aftertaste and I think I will try this again substituting a green salsa for the dressing.

A tasty variation to regular salsa. I think I would use less Italian dressing next time, so that flavor is not too overwhelming.

I am soooo disappointed with this salsa. I made 2 giant bowls since it got such rave reviews. I added extra tomatoes and only used half the dressing. I let it sit for 6 hours before trying it. Not good. I let it sit over night and even woke up early to see if it was delicious yet. Sadly, it still doesn't make me want to get seconds.

Wow, amazing. I used only half of italian dressing and added just a little bit of lime juice and it was excellent. My husband did not want to share :)

I thought this was good for a change of pace. However, next time I'll skip the olives and double the tomato and avocado. I also added a diced jalapeno and skipped the msg.

This was a great example of recipes simply being a guideline. We left out the salad dressing, avacados, and msg, added additional tomatoes and cut back on the cheese. Made quite the delicious appetizer.

I make this the night before and add the avocado just before serving. I always omit MSG - for health reasons.

This was a hit! It isn't the most appetizing looking salsa, but once people tried it, they loved it.

Very Good! I did not add the MSG.

Huge Hit! We had this at a Mother's Day gathering and everyone loved it! Even people that don't like tomatoes, loved this. I do not use cilantro (in anthing) so I left that out, and decreased the dressing a little, per other reviewers. I didn't use MSG either. Great recipe! Will make again! In the future, if tomatoes aren't in season, I will probably use rotel for the tomatoes and chilis. Thanks Debra!

We have made this salsa several times with variations and love it! It is very flavorful and can be adjusted to any taste. We generally add jalepenos and omit the chiles and olives. We sometimes add corn for fiesta taste. Great recipe for potlucks and snacking. Thanks for sharing!

This was very good and here are the changes I made: I only used about 1/4 cup dressing because that was all I had but I'd use 1/2 cup next time because it wasn't very juicy. I used jalapeno flavored sliced olives that I found and I left out the avocado because I made it ahead and thought it would turn brown. I thought shredded cheese would definitely make it look weird like other reviewers said so I cubed the cheese very small and it looked great. I mixed everything, except the cheese, the night before, then added the cheese a couple hours before serving. Even my husband who hates onions and tomatoes loved it and said, don't change a thing!

Tasted great! I won a salsa challenge with this recipe. The cheese added a yummy flavor.

A different salsa but with a delightful taste. Will awaken your taste buds. Very good.

Honestly, I did not think it was as good as everyone else said. It was good, just not fabulous. I made it the night before, and ended up being sick for the party. Since I couldn't go, I used someone's suggestion of making enchiladas w/ it, and it was good. Just not all it was cracked up to be.

This was a big hit for T-day. Made the night before except for the cheese. Did not use the msg. Will make again.

I just added some salt, and made my own yummy italian dressing. I loved all of the other ingredients and always have roasted chili's in the freezer.

This was friggin great! Great fresh flavor. This HAS to be served after sitting overnight in order to get the whole experience. I would throw a party just for the purpose of making this and sharing it w/ my friends.

I must have done something wrong, this was not a big hit at all!!! It sounded great, maybe it needs to be made a day ahead of time to let the flavors blend. I have a group we always try new recipes on and not one person asked for the recipe.Sorry, I might try it again and add some garlic to it , and make it a day ahead.

Made this a day ahead for our tailgating party. With these ingredients I thought it couldn't miss, but it just turned out to be very mediocre. A couple of people really liked it; but most just sort of picked at it. My family said it was just ok - they didn't know why but weren't crazy about it. I had made 2 batches for this crowd and only about 1/4 of the first batch was eaten. Can't seem to figure out what the problem was since I had really good fresh cilantro and tomatoes; and (per other reviews) didn't use the full amount of dressing - 1 c. would definitely have been too much. I had also subbed a bit of sugar for the MSG as suggested in other reviews; but it had sort of a bitter taste and was unappetizing in appearance. Sorry, but won't be making this again.

We've heard it all before, but the people at my work could not get enough of this salsa. I followed the suggestions for less dressing and I added fresh chopped jalapenos instead of the can of chilis for a little more "kick." It makes a ton, but still not enough for all the admiring fans.

I have made this many times, but w/o the advocado. It is WONDERFUL! Everyone loves it!! It does need to be made ahead of time for the flavors to meld.

wonderful recipe. I add 3/4 cup of the italian dressing (seems to be the right amount) and a half of a small can diced jalapenos and two avocados! Really tastes better the next day.

Definitely ***** I have made this salsa countless of times and like many of us here, been asked for the recipe. A tip here: you can substitute the MSG with sugar (which we usually do in chinese cooking). I find that it helps to balance the tart taste of this wonderful dish. Thank you Debra for sharing this recipe.

Doubled the avo's because I am a fanatic, ommited the MSG and chile's , used ZESTY italian salad dressing, and result was SCRUMPTIOUS. Can't wait to bring it to a party!

This recipe is tasty and different, but one thing I would strongly suggest against. DO NOT use the MSG, monosodium glutamate! It makes me absolutely cringe when I see this as an actual ingredient in anything, and is used way too much in prepacked foods as a flavor enhancer. Happy (and safe) eating!

I've made this a few times for parties or BBQ's, and it's always a huge hit! I make a batch of Good Seasons' Zesty Italian dressing, and use approx 1/2-3/4 cup...any more that that and it's too oily. Plus, if there's too much dressing it drips all over your guests and is too mess. I also leave out the MSG, and use a 4 cheese Mexican blend that comes pre-shredded in the dairy case. Also, DEFINITELY serve this with "Scoops" tortilla chips. If you use regular tortilla chips it kind of slides off the chip. This recipe is a party classic!

After reading the reviews, I was very disappointed in this recipe. I served this for an appetizer at a Mexican dinner party. I had alot leftover! I thought there was too much dressing, the ingredients seemed to swim in it!

LOVE this. I throw it all in the food processor, use canned tomatoes, no cilatro or MSG, 1/2 the dressing, and a little red pepper for some kick. Don't use strong dressing, it overpowers everything else.

This had a very unique flavor. It didn't taste much like salsa. My sister-in-law really enjoyed it though.

Jack Salsa is unique and was enjoyed by all my family. I found that it kept well and the kids liked it because it wasen't too spicy.

I've had numerous friends ask for this recipe. Very good!

Great recipe, and fun because it's different! Too salty, though - I would cut down on the dressing, and definitely don't add extra salt or the MSG. We used Pepper Jack, too - yum. Can't wait to serve it to guests!

Leave out the MSG (monosodium glutamate), because kids usually say it "looks gross." But if you can get them to try it...watch out...because it will disappear.

I served this at a party on the weekend and it went like hotcakes! We left out the MSG and reduced the dressing to a 1/2 cup instead, and made it the day before. The flavours really came together for the party, and it was the first thing to go. Everyone wanted the recipe!

I love this recipe. I made it but a few weeks ago for a friend and she absolutely loved it. :)

I love this recipe. Everyone always eats it up. I do only use half of the dressing and no MSG. I have even used cheddar when that's all I had, still great. I make it all the time. I like it with corn chips more than tortilla.

Loved it! It's a big hit! I want to make it again this weekend! I didn't add MSG, but I did add an extra avocado. I also used grape tomatoes and chopped olives in a mini-food processor. The flavors do blend in 24 hours. P.S. Kids do think it looks "gross."

I really like this recipe - it's delicious and very different.

Very tasty. Like to try different tastes.

I recently catered a party where we had a salsa bar. I increased this recipe to serve 80, and had not one spoonful left The people went nuts for this, I will make it at every get together, that's how delicious it was!

This was a great dip. We liked it even better with celery. Could be made low calorie as well using diet salad dressing and low fat cheese. A real crowd pleaser.

I sort of combined this with a couple of caviar recipes and the result was fantastic! I did add a 15 oz can of both pinto beans and black-eyed peas, 4 cloves minced garlic, 4 chopped jalapenos instead of the green chilis, a chopped bell pepper and no MSG. Did everything in the food processor - so easy! This dish was a fresh surprise at Super Bowl! I will be making it often this summer for warm weather snacking too!

This is one of the most interesting and delicious recipes I've tasted in a long time. Everyone who tried it, loved it! And it is better the second day... if it lasts that long!

This was an awesome salsa. What's nice about it is that you make it as spicy as you would like. I took this as an appetizer to a friends house and everyone loved it.

For a little extra kick, my husband and I used Pepper Jack cheece rather than Monterey Jack.

I absolutely love this salsa! I don't use the MSG and it must be made at least 6 hours before you plan to serve it. Thank you for an awesome recipe!

This is a wonderful salsa. It was a hit at a party I hosted. Several people asked for the recipe!!

This dip is awesome! I made it for card night and everyone asked me for the recipe! It has a wonderful fresh taste...I added extra tomato and avacado.

My husband was shocked by the looks when I handed him a bowl and some chips - I guess he expected a traditional red salsa - however - THIS IS EXCELLENT!!!! I'll be taking it to a parties and making it for us to just enjoy at home!

Very savory and original. Delicioso!

I only had 3/4 c Italian dressing but it was enough. I also had half a lime so I squeezed the juice into the salad.

I took this recipe to an appetizer evening with some girlfriends and didn't get to bring any leftovers home. They could not leave it alone.

I first made this recipe because I wanted to serve something "different". Everyone loved it! It's fun to watch people taste it for the first time and try to decide what gives it that different flavor. It's the Italian dressing. I didn't use the MSG and I like using 2 avocados.

Couldn't stop eating it. Was much better the second day. Works well to add more of any ingredient to make a larger amount.

I took this to a club meeting and everyone devoured it! Everyone wanted the recipe, so I simply directed them to the allrecipe.com website. The best part is that several months later, I was at a meeting and someone said, "Oh didn't you bring that great salsa dip to one of our meetings?" This recipe must be great if someone liked it that much!

Made this for a party and got rave reviews. Very different and yummy flavor.

My husband and I loved this dip, it was so simple and GOOD!

Everyone loved this...really different.

this was pretty good. i added peppers to it to make it hot though. everyone liked it.

I love this recipe! I have made it several times, and every time it gets rave reviews. Multiple friends who hate some ingredient have all said they love it none the less. It looks a little funky, but the taste is wonderful. I like to make it with pepper jack for more zing, Newman's Italian dressing, and no MSG.

Wow! What a great recipe! I took it to a party and everyone RAVED over it. We served it with tortilla chips. I will definately make this again.