11 Layer Mexican Dip

Today is Sunday, otherwise known as Football Day. Growing up, Sunday football was a serious ritual in my house. We each had our assigned seats, and we also had our assigned tasks to help mom put together a tray of snacks and such to enjoy during the game. Bean dip was a requirement. Of course, back then, it was the Fritos brand, and it came in a can. I still enjoy that dip from time to time… usually late at night with a bag of Fritos and nothing else but a Coke to wash it down. I’m amazed – and proud! – that I can still consume an entire bag of chips and can of dip on my own. My stomach is not always in agreement, however.

Back to cooking. This dip begins a “fat week” (8 days) of dip recipes. I’m going to start with this lovely layered concoction, then give you six easy salsas and dips. Finally, next Sunday I’ll show you another fancy dip. Once you have all of these recipes, you’ll be able to serve a veritable feast of dips and chips to your friends on Game Day, or any other day, for that matter. But let’s get started with this one.

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans
1-2 cans chopped tomatoes and green chiles
1 tablespoon taco seasoning (Recipe here)
Sour Cream
Sliced Jalapenos
Guacamole (Recipe here)
Cilantro – chopped
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1-2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 can sliced black olives
3-4 green onions, sliced thin
Shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

In small pot, warm beans over low heat.

Drain tomatoes and green chiles and keep the liquid. Add 1/2 cup of the tomatoes/green chiles to the beans along with the reserved liquid from ONE can of tomatoes. For a more manly flavor, add the taco seasoning. The bean mixture should be smooth and spreadable without being runny. I find it’s best to add the reserved liquid a little at a time until I’m happy with the consistency. Let the bean dip cool so that everything gets happy.

Spread bean mixture on a large serving platter or bowl. You can also use a 9×13 baking dish.

Spread layer of sour cream, being careful not to stir up the beans.

Sprinkle jalapeno slices over sour cream. The more you use, the hotter the dip will be.

Next comes the guacamole, then chopped cilantro, Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, black olives, green onions and finally, the cheddar cheese.

To make it look even better, and to sort of warn your guests, you can top the whole thing with a few olives and jalapenos.

Serve with tortilla chips.

You can serve this immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Since I often do this the morning of the party, I cover it and hide it in the back of the fridge.

Notes:

You’ll notice in the photos that there are variations to this recipe. In fact, this recipe is a combination of several recipes I’ve seen over the years. So don’t be afraid to fiddle with it until it’s to your liking. I sure did!

One way to serve this dip that ups the Cool Quotient a bit is to make single serving portions. How big a portion will be is determined by who will be eating it. If you’re serving a pack of Manly Guys, use small bowls. If it’s an appetizer for a dinner, you can use rocks glasses or something of that size. Just be sure you can get a chip into the glass or you’re going to look kind of silly.

Another way to up the Cool Quotient is to save the guacamole for last, smoothing it as much as possible. This is the “grass” for your football field. Then put some sour cream into a plastic bag, and make a small cut in the corner. Use this to draw lines across your football field.

And just in case you don’t know this trick, you can warm your tortilla chips in the microwave. A large soup bowl of chips takes 15-20 seconds. Don’t go too long, though, or you’ll burn the chips in the center. I can’t tell you how many people have complimented the chips just because they were warm.

Regardless of how you present it, chances are you’re not going to have any leftovers. So before the game starts, head out to the store to get what you need and don’t forget to

Play with your food!

Lane

Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

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