Mom's 7 layer dip & new one

1 can (10oz) bean dip
1 can (20 oz) refried beans
2 large ripe avocados, mashed & salted
2 tsp lemon juice
1 c sour cream
1/2 c mayo
1 pkg. taco seasoning
4 tomatoes, diced
1 can sliced black olives
Green onions, sliced
Shredded cheddar cheese
Corn chips


Mix together bean dip & refried beans. Spread out onto a big plate or dish. Mix avocado with lemon juice. Put on top of beans. Mix sour cream, mayo & taco seasoning. Spread on top of beans. Put tomatoes, olives, green onions and cheese on top.

THE BEST 7-LAYER DIP

YIELD:  10-12 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME:  40 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME:  40 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

BEAN LAYER:

•  30-ounce can (about 3 1/2 cups) refried beans (see note)
•  1/2 cup green or red salsa 

GUACAMOLE (SEE NOTE):

•  3-4 medium ripe avocados
•  1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
•  1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
•  Salt and pepper to taste

SOUR CREAM LAYER:

•  1 1/2 cups sour cream
•  1/2 teaspoon chili powder
•  1/4 teaspoon cumin
•  1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
•  1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  Pinch of black pepper

OTHER LAYERS:

•  1 1/2 cups finely shredded Mexican blend cheese (monterey jack + cheddar)
•  1 cup chopped tomatoes (see note)
•  1 cup sliced olives
•  1/4 cup finely chopped green onions or chives

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the bean layer, mix the refried beans and salsa together until creamy and smooth. Evenly spread in a 9X13-inch (or slightly smaller) dish. 
2. For the guacamole, mash the avocados, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper together until desired consistency (for this recipe, I like the guacamole mostly smooth with just a few small chunks). Spread the guacamole evenly over the refried beans.
3. For the sour cream layer, stir together the sour cream and all the seasonings until smooth and evenly combined. Spread evenly over the guacamole, covering completely all the way to the edges so the guacamole doesn't turn brown.
4. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the sour cream followed by the tomatoes, olives, and green onions (or chives). 
5. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip can be made 8-12 hours in advance (and probably longer, although it might get a bit liquidy from the tomatoes if refrigerated longer than that). 

NOTES

Refried Beans: this is my favorite homemade refried beans recipe.

Salsa: use a brand of salsa you like the flavor of (and choose a heat you are comfortable with). This is my favorite homemade salsa. For storebought I like the Herdez or Trader Joe's brands.

Guacamole: if you want to use a premade/storebought guacamole, you'll need 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Tomatoes: I like to use roma or cherry tomatoes since they are less liquidy than other varieties of tomatoes.

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Julie Cheese ball

2 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 small jar old english sharp cheese spread
1 c grated cheddar cheese
1 T parsley
2 T mayo
scant tsp onion salt
little garlic powder
chopped pecans

Mix together. Form 2 balls and roll in shopped pecans

VEGGIE LOADED 7-LAYER DIP

PREP TIME

25 mins

TOTAL TIME

25 mins

Author: Katya @ http://www.littlebroken.com

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Bean Layer

• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained + rinsed
• 1 (dry) chipotle pepper (found in produce section next to peppers)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. water
• ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. cumin

Avocado Layer

• 3 avocados, pitted + mashed with fork
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Everything Else

• ½ cup sour cream (I used full fat)
• 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
• 3 romana tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1½ cups)
• 1 cup chopped hothouse cucumber
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• salt and pepper
• chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish (optional)
• tortilla chips, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

Bean Layer

1. In a bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients and pulse until well blended and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Avocado Layer

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Assemble

1. Spread the beans in an even layer on the bottom of a 8X11 (or similar) casserole dish. Spread the avocado in an even layer on top of the beans, followed by a layer of sour cream, then the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.
2. Season the top lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
3. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

NOTES

I would recommend preparing the dip the day of serving as there will be some juice accumulation from the veggies if the dip sits for too long. If you want the dip extra chilled, prepare+chop all the layers and chill individually before layering and serving.

CRANBERRY BRIE BITES

• 
• 
  
• Prep Time 15 min
• Total Time 30 min
• Servings 24

Cranberry Brie Bites

1 

package (17 1/4 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1/2 

lb Brie cheese

1 

cup cranberry sauce (purchased or homemade)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheets into approximately 3 inch x 3 inch squares. Press each square into a muffin cavity.
• Cube the cheese - about a 3/4 inch cube for each (you may have a little cheese left over). Place a cube of brie in the center of each puff pastry square. Top the brie with a small dollop (about 2 tsp) of cranberry sauce.
• Bake about 10 minites or until puff pastry corners are toasted lightly brown.
• Let cool 5 minutes before serving

Pizza Rolls

Ingredients

Pizza Dough or one pilsbury pizza crust makes one

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 teaspoons basil

1 cup sliced pepperoni, chopped

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or pepperjack)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide pizza dough in half. Roll each half into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick and 12 inches long. Just think about the size of a piece of paper. Sprinkle each half with equal amounts of garlic salt, basil, cheeses and pepperoni. Starting at a short end, roll dough up tightly to form a log. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned on top. Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Yummy Fresh Cranberry Salsa

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS OF SALSA

If your blender or food processor is on the small side and doesn't chop up large batches of ingredients very well, consider chopping the ingredients separately or in batches and then combining in a bowl.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/4 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 large red pepper, roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup no-sugar added applesauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (use the seeds if you want more heat)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until combined (and it is the texture you want).
2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to give the flavors a chance to meld. It can be made and refrigerated for up to a week or longer.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

FRESH SWEET CORN SALSA

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen sweet corn, rinsed with warm water
• 1 (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional if you like your salsa HOT!)
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 packet of dry Italian seasoning dressing (I usually only use half the packet)

Instructions

In large bowl, combine corn, black beans, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeno. Stir gently.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil, and dry Italian seasoning. Stir well and pour over top and gently stir until mixed well. Chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving for best results.

Serve with your favorite chips or on top of tacos.

Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients

• 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed
• 4-5 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• 2-3 diced avocados, ripe but still firm
• 4 green onions, sliced thin (I used 1/2 purple onion diced finely because that's all I had)
• around 1/2 to 3/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
• 1-2 limes
• ground pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the black eyed peas, black beans, and corn. Add to a large bowl. Dice the tomatoes, making sure the seeds and insides are removed. You want to do this to make sure that there isn't too much liquid in the dip. Add the diced tomatoes and cilantro to the bowl. Slice the green onions finely (or purple onion) and add to the bowl. Dice the avocado and squeeze a little of the lime juice over the avocados so they don't brown as quickly. Squeeze the rest of the lime juice into the bowl. Add the Italian dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Chill in the refrigerator until cold and flavors have marinated together. This is best served the same day as prepared. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fresh Fruit with Honey-Yogurt Dip

printed from melskitchencafe.com
*Makes about 2 cups of dip

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 cup honey (decrease to 1/4 cup if using vanilla yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Assorted fresh fruit like apples, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, honey and cinnamon. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve on a platter with fresh fruit. The dip keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Fruit Salsa

1. Choose Your Fruit

I choose fruit based on it's color. I love having something in just about every color of the rainbow! So here's some options:

Kiwi, Mango, Strawberries, Pineapple and blackberries

Red: Strawberries are my standard because they hold up really well, they're usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelon, raspberries orpomegranate seeds would be fun too.

Orange: Mango is my top choice.......Peaches,nectarines, or orange segments would work.

Yellow: Pineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch open up a can. I guess nectarines and peaches can also be yellow.

Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of Kiwi in fruit salsa. There's always honeydew too.

Blue/Purple: I go with price on this one. Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper!

I really love Kiwi, blackberry, and Mango together too. It looks gorgeous and the flavor combo is really great too.My berries were giant so I cut them in half, which I think make them look super cool. If you are using any type of berries, you'll want to stir them in at the last minute so they don't dye the whole salsa.


2. Choose Your Sweetener

Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.

Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.

Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor. Much deeper flavor than white sugar.

Granulated Sugar: What I use the most. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices.

Agave Nectar: If you want to use an alternative sweetener, you could try Agave Nectar (very low on the glycemic index if that concerns you) or a natural herbal sweetener like Stevia.

3. Choose Your Extras
You don't want to do all of these together- pick and choose!

Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don't want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.

Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.

Mint: I love a little chopped fresh mint in my fruit salsa. It reminds me of cilantro in regular salsa and makes everything so fresh tasting. But beware, a little goes a long way and if you add too much it will really overpower the taste of your yummy fruit. 

Coconut: shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.

Toasted Coconut: If you're taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!

4. Eat it!
You'll want to chill the salsa first for maximum yumminess. Then serve with Baked Cinnamon Chips for dipping. Also fantastic over ice cream! Ooh, how about cinnamon chips AND ice cream. Now that's a party.