Saturday, December 29, 2007

7 layer dip

I made my famous 7-layer dip for the party yesterday. That thing gets gobbled up faster than anything I've found and it's remarkably easy to make. I should have taken pictures as I did it yesterday, but I was a bad blogger. Anyway, I'm sure many of you have some variation on this. It cost me $25 to make it, which seems a bit extreme for a "dip". Refried beans are not so big up here, a can of those alone will set you back $3. I always make it in a ceramic pie dish, layered as follows.

Bottom layer, spread a can of refried beans onto the bottom. Next put a very thin layer of finely chopped onions. (I used one medium sized onion.) Then spread guacamole over the onions. (you can make it or buy it pre-made) Then put a layer of sliced black olives and smush it down. Next add a layer of strong cheddar cheese and/or Monterey Jack (grated). I use the orange Old-Cheddar because the color makes it more festive. Then add a layer of sour cream (the real stuff, not the sissy light kind). Finally on top, a layer of tomatoes or strained salsa if you want some bite. I always sprinkle a few olives and grated cheese on top as well. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips. I recommend using a spoon to scoop it out as it's rather firm and tends to break the tortilla chips if you try to scoop using the chips. To recap the 7 layers:

Refried beans
Onions
Guacamole
Sliced black olives
Strong cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Tomatoes/Salsa

Guaranteed to be the first hors d'oeuvres consumed at the party. At least that's been my experience.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great dip except the one time I tried Gaucamole it tasted like chewing on an old sock. Maybe it would be better mixed with the other stuff. I might try it with green olives instead of the Gaucamole. Loves me some olives. Ed

Anonymous said...

So funny, I love the guacamole, hate the olives.

You forgot the other crowd pleaser (and heart-clogger):
The parmesan/artichoke dip.

1 can (14 oz size) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip Dressing
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients.
Spoon into 9-inch pie plate or shallow ovenproof dish.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.


Oh. My. Goodness.

Heaven.

Anonymous said...

my dip is a little different... bottom to top:

refried beans
cream cheese mixed with Old El Paso taco seasoning
guacamole
salsa
sour cream
cheddar cheese, with sliced jalepeno peppers and olives for garnish

bardelf said...

Sounds yummy! Aren't parties fun?
We had a lot of marina friends drop by unexpectedly last evening (and stayed til 2:00 a.m.)! Luckily we had loads of Christmas cookies and munchies to share with them. This morning there are so many beer and soda cans in the sink, it looks more like a Newfoundland house party than a North Carolina one.

Rox said...

My SIL makes a variation of this and brings it to every family gathering. For years. About 1/3 of it gets eaten. I've only ever seen the onions, salsa and cheese and sour cream in hers though. Anyway, I don't think it's the dip people have an aversion to, I think it's my SIL. She's not the cleanest girl. LOL!

I have a warm shrimp dip that will melt the cockles of your heart! I'll email you the recipe if you like!

Snooze said...

Have a safe trip and a great New Year!

Patricia said...

okay so i know it's too early to claim a pregnancy craving, but too bad. i gotta get me some of this!

Java said...

That looks goooood! Here in the south it's easy to get refried beans. It's the guacamole that might be a challenge to find.

Adam said...

I love layered dip, I can eat it till I burst.

Anonymous said...

About the re-fired beans... you can make your own. Take a can of red or black beans (whichever you favor), rinse them and mash them like potatoes (not whipped, but mashed). Add a chopped onion and usually some sort of fat-but you can use vegetable oil as well (not much). You can add a bit of cumin (and garlic, if you like). Plonk it all into a non-stick pan and cook it down to the well known consistency. Refritos are really just left-over beans. I've not bought them in a tin for years. --you can also put different beans together in the mix for experimentation.

TJ said...

7 Layer Dip has always been a family favourite during holiday get togethers, and summer BBQ's. Homemade guacamole is so much better than anything I've ever bought at the store. Hmmm now I'll have to go make some for New Years.

Anonymous said...

For those concerned with guacamole, try dicing a ripe avocado in its stead. I think the flavor of the avocado is probably the closer on this dip being sold!

Sounds wonderful either way to me though...
-C

Anonymous said...

Sounds delish! I just may try it.

Here's my easy, last minute dip.

2 blocks cream cheese softened.
2 cans crab meat (the cheapest kind is okay to use)
2 tbls chopped onion - I usually use more.
1 tbl. dried hot pepper
garnish with parsley.

Tastes great on crackers, melba toast, whatever.

A Lewis said...

You're right...it's ALWAYS the place at the table where the DOUBLE-DIPPERS seem to congregate and dip chip, after chip, after chip into it. Feeding their faces in a frenetic frenzy in an unfathomable way. Yummy!

Enemy of the Republic said...

I would like to try this for my New Years Eve party. I may substitute the olives for KILLER JALEPANOS!

Summer said...

The dip doesn't do it for me but I did like your use of the verb smush. :)

Anonymous said...

I've been making seven layer bars that have been quite the holiday hit. It's a stick of butter, crushed graham crackers, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, nuts (which I usually leave out just in case), a can of condensed milk, and grated coconut. They're quite rich and likely the reason I put on a few pounds during the holidaze.

Mark in DE said...

This recipe was a family favorite at my family's summer barbeques. Since I LOVE Mexican food its one of my favorites.

Mark :-)