Seven Layer Dip I

This recipe deserves nothing less than five stars! I used homemade guacamole from another recipe on this site, replaced the salsa with taco sauce (we don’t like chunks of veggies), omitted the black olives and chopped tomatoes, and I added a can of seasoned black beans for more texture. This dip is excellent served hot – if you don't like the thought of eating cold food right out of the can, you can assemble the dip, minus the sour cream and guacamole, and pop it in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes, then top individual servings with sour cream and guacamole. Delicious! I served mine up with guacamole flavored Doritos, it was a hit! My husband couldn’t stop raving over it! I’m making it again this weekend!

Seven Layer Dip is a classic that you just can't go wrong with. You can leave out any ingredient that you don't like, so it is easy to adjust for any taste. I add taco seasoning to the meat after browning. Warning though, if you add the water it will make the dip hard to scoop. Just add enough water to disolve the seasoning. I also add a jar of nacho cheese sauce to my beans. I like them better that way.

I recently had a party with some people who enjoy good Mexican food...and they DEVOURED this! The key that made this 7-layer dip so successful is the LACK of taco seasoning in the refried beans. I've used that in the past, called for in other recipes, and it's just not good to me. I asked my sisters about it, and they've said they just leave it out because there's a strange after-taste. We grew up near the border and had alot of great Tex-Mex, and this recipe SHINES above any other I've tried. I prefer not to use canned refried beans, rather to go to one of the local Mexican restaurants and get a pint of their beans--they're just better if you want to WOW your guests...something different about the texture. Texans close to a Pancho's know what I mean. If you don't have time to make your own guacamole, Walmart sells a good one put out by AvoClassic, plain or spicy in a box with two 8 ounce packages that you can mash a little more, or not. I took a Mexican cooking class while a student in Mexico, but many of these recipes are just as good...including this one.