If you're looking for a great fall appetizer that will disappear in minutes, look no further than this warm and gooey seven-layer Mexican dip. Most everyone has had some version of a layered dip like this, but this one is particularly good. I like it because it's served warm — something about cold refried beans just isn't the same.
You can adjust and add to it as you like, but this basic recipe, adapted from Simply Recipes, is a good place to start. If you add lettuce and enough vegetables, you can even spoon it into tortilla shells and call it dinner. Ole!
7-Layer Dip
- 2 cups of refried beans
- 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder, Tabasco chipotle sauce, or adobo sauce, more to taste (or plain chili powder to taste)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green Anaheim chiles (canned) OR a Tbsp of chopped pickled jalapenos (more to taste)
- 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1/3 cup of sour cream
- 1/2 small can of sliced ripe black olives
- 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
Heat the refried beans in a medium sauté pan or cast iron skillet. Stir in enough water to get a creamy, easily dip-able consistency, about 1/4 of a cup.
Mix in the chipotle chili powder (or Tabasco, or adobo, or regular chili powder) and cumin to taste. Stir in salt to taste.
Once the beans are hot and bubbly, spread them over the bottom of a warmed serving dish. Immediately add the shredded cheese so that the heat from the beans helps melt the cheese.
Layer on the chopped green chilies, chopped avocado, chopped tomato. Spoon on the sour cream (or crema Mexicana, crema fresca, or even cream fraiche).
Top with sliced green onions and olives.
Serve immediately with tortilla chips.
Image via missmeng/Flickr