Taco Dip

Hi everyone!  I feel like it's been FOREVER since I last posted.  Unfortunately, my darling and extremely sweet (ha ha) daughters had a fight resulting in the death of my laptop.  Makayla was so highly offended by her little sister putting her head on her that she pushed her, resulting in Sophie falling on the computer.  The screen was completely ruin :(  I had to wait until payday to get a new one.  I wasn't desserting (get it... dessert-ing) you.  I just didn't have a computer.
Lucky for you, during my time of no-computer, I had the most delicious taco dip brought in to work from my co-worker Linda.  I'm a huge fan of the layered taco dip and I'm excited to say this is just as wonderful.  I love the fact it can be made several days in advance.  It's perfect for potlucks or bbq's.  Enjoy :)

TACO DIP
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1/2 cup mild salsa
1 packet mild taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz) packet onion soup mix
4 cups shredded lettuce
3 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup canned French fried onions, coarsely crushed, optional (Linda left these out)

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, taco seasoning and onion soup mix.  Blend well with a mixer at low speed.  Spoon into a shallow bowl or 9 x 13 baking dish.  Smooth on top.  Sprinkle lettuce over cream cheese mixture and top with cheese and tomatoes.  For added crunch, add French fried onion to the top before serving.

*  This dip can be made several days in  advance, but do not top with the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and onions until 2 hours prior to serving for peak texture.