7 Layer Dip

To be perfectly honest, I shouldn't call this a 7 layer dip because I don't use them all, but I'll include my version as well as my mom's (the REAL 7 layer dip).

Ingredients

1 can of refried beans

1 12 oz. tub of sour cream

guacamole

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or more)

chopped jalapenos

halved cherry tomatoes (optional)

chopped black olives (optional)

1 packet of taco seasoning (optional)

I am not really giving a good description of the amounts because they are all relative to your tastes. This dip is impossible to mess up so it doesn't matter if you have too much sour cream or whatnot, because people are just going to eat around the parts they don't like anyway.

You'll need a shallow pan or dish (not too shallow though). You could use one of those 8x8 Pyrex dishes and it would probably work nicely. I put the refried beans at the bottom because they are the most dense & it is easier to spread the other layers on top of it. I use a spatula to spread it out until it coats the entire bottom of the dish. Don't worry about getting it perfectly flat, it will taste the same in the end!

Then I put the guacamole down. I didn't put an amount for this one because I have seen it in a tub as well as in a sealed plastic packet, so whatever form you find it in, just get one and that should be enough (or anything close to 12 oz. is always a safe bet). I recommend putting dollops of it evenly around the dish so it is easier to spread out without moving the layer of refried beans underneath. 

Now the next layer is the sour cream. My mom mixes a packet of taco seasoning in with the sour cream before spreading it. Dennis doesn't like taco seasoning so we just use plain sour cream. Again, drop a few dollops on top of the guacamole to spread it around more easily.

Now spread the shredded cheese on top of the whole mix. Easy enough. At this point, I usually spread the jalapenos on top and call it a night. However, the last few times I have made this, I have found that I favor the tomatoes more and more so they go on with the jalapenos. However, I draw the line at black olives. If you like them, spread them on top with the tomatoes and jalapenos.

There you have it! This dip is great for parties when you have to bring a dish. In fact, my friend Wally doesn't like cake so I made this for him for his birthday one year. He asked me to use ground beef instead of refried beans. The result tasted great but it was kind of hard to dip & the chips kept breaking. In the future, if I'm going to add ground beef I would mix it with the refried beans.