Since 1985, American consumption of avocados has risen from 436 million pounds to over 2.8 billion pounds. That’s a big ol’ bowl of the green stuff! And while it’s fun to experiment, chef Jon-Paul Hutchins has elevated this classic, south of the border side dish into the spotlight. Enjoy tips for the base guac, plus two unique recipes that’ll blow your taste buds away.

 

1. Base Guacamole

Before getting fancy, let’s start with that basic guacamole!

 

Ingredients

 

3 medium ripe Hass avocados (halved, pitted, peel removed)

1 tablespoons lime juice from 1 medium lime

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/2 cup onion (finely diced)

2 small Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)

1 large clove garlic (minced)

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped)

1/2 jalapeno (minced)

 

Directions

 

Place the avocado pulp and lime juice in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Add the salt, cumin and cayenne and mash using a potato masher, leaving some larger chunks for texture. Add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno and stir to combine. Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole and allow to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.

 

2. Bacon-Goat Cheese Guacamole

Next, take that base and add some smoky, cheesy goodness with this bacon-goat cheese guacamole.

 

Ingredients

 

Base guacamole

Bacon

Crumbled goat cheese

 

Directions

 

Take the base guac. Slice up uncooked bacon into little chunks and fry them until they’re crispy, but not burnt. Mix in the bacon along with crumbled goat cheese. Top off the mixture with more goat cheese and bacon

 

3. Tropical Fruit Guacamole

Finally, satisfy your sweet tooth with a tropical fruit guacamole.

 

Ingredients

 

Base guacamole

Mango

Pineapple

Dragon fruit

 

Directions

 

Take the Base Guac. Dice and/or cube Mango, Pineapple and Dragon Fruit. Mix in the fruits. Top off the mixture with more of the fruit.

 

Is your mouth watering yet?! Now you’ve got three crowd-pleasing twists on classic guacamole.