This Exposed Seven Layer Dip adds an extra pop of Mexican flavors like chili powder, cumin, cilantro, garlic and onion. Expose all those layers of beans, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa for some extra party fun.
Today I am exhausted because today I had FUN!
Actually, I’ve been having fun since Thursday afternoon. Therefore, I am thoroughly WASTED…in a great kind of way.
Our weekend was chuck filled with activity after activity, each one being almost better than the last. It truly was one of the best Easter breaks I’ve ever had.
Wanna know what made it so great??? Well…
- The kiddos and I got to go to a party at one of those indoor trampoline parks. I never thought that cracking a bunch of 2-5 year old eggs could be such a blast. Plus I learned that if your 2 year old starts walking with a limp after jumping, the manager will give your family a free ice cream to share. Thanks for taking one for the team Emry! (Update: Emry is just fine!)
- One of my very bestest friends in the whole widest of worlds came home from Ireland with her cutest little family after 18 months of being gone. Happy dance! We stopped by the very evening they got home and watched the kids reunite with their besties.
- Braelyn had Good Friday off so we got to spend some fun girl time together with Emry. We went to the gym, gave her room a new makeover, hung out at the splash pad, and had another buddy of hers come and play. Then…deep breath…we waited for dad to come home and went to the movies, out to dinner, and to a few more stores for room accessories. Definitely a fun day!
- Saturday morning I went on a gorgeous hike and chatted it up with my Ireland friend. Afterwards I got tons of chores done and hung out with my kiddos that night while Ben went off to a church meeting.
- Sunday was perfect! We woke up to Emry holding an empty Easter basket at 6:15 am all ready to hunt for eggs. Poor kiddo had to wait an hour for Braelyn to wake up. We enjoyed watching our church’s semi-annual television broadcast from our prophet and other leaders. Afterwards, we headed up north to one of my other bestie’s sister’s house to enjoy Easter dinner. They had horses, chickens, dogs, fish, goats, and a cow all in their backyard. The kid’s were in heaven!!!
- And last but not least, I threw a welcome home party this morning for my friend returning from over seas. I surprised her with about 15 of her closest friends and ALL their kids. Yes, I almost had a heart attack with that many
childrenpeople in my home, but the house survived and we had a complete blast!
So now you can see why I am tired, right?
As excited as I was to throw my friend a surprise party, I was not looking forward to spending a lot of time in the kitchen. So I didn’t. I decided to make low maintenance menu items and enjoy time with my friends.
And enjoy I did.
However, just because an appetizer doesn’t take a lot of time to make doesn’t mean that it can’t taste absolutely delicious.
Take, for instance, this Exposed Seven Layer Dip.
Seven layers of awesomeness. Seven layers of flavor. Seven layers of YUM!
I got the idea for this dip from an awfully adorable fellow food blogger over at Tara Teaspoon. Plus she’s dating my uncle, so you know, that makes her extra cute. Haha!
Anyway, this recipe of hers was featured in the very last issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal magazine. She puts an artistic spin on the traditional seven layer bean dip by leaving all the layers exposed. It turns out to look so fun and whimsical.
Perfect for a party.
The prep and assembly is so simple and can be done in less than 20 minutes. The only mixing you need to do is adding some seasoning and spice to the refried beans and whipping up a simple guacamole spread.
The ladies at the party today kept asking what I put in the dip to make it “pop”. I guess some people are just used to seven layer dips that are bland and tasteless.
Well, first off, you’ve got to spice up those beans! Add some cumin, chili powder, onion and garlic powder, oregano, and a bit of cayenne pepper for some heat. All those flavors blend together to give this bean base a real taco flavor.
My other secret is adding lime juice and cilantro to the mashed avocado layer. This brings even more freshness and zing to the dip. Nothing screams Mexican flavor like a squeeze of lime and a pinch of cilantro.
And lastly, make sure you’ve got some good salsa. The salsa layer really brings flavor to the dip, so don’t skimp on a cheap store brand (Although I do actually love the Walmart brand Lime and Garlic Salsa). Buy a salsa that you love so your dip can really shine!
See, that’s it. Layer it all together, chill it for an hour or so, and you’ll be the talk of the party…after people are done chewing a mouthful of your delicious dip.
Keep this recipe in mind for Cinco de Mayo! It’s just around the corner…
What is your favorite party food?
- 2 cans Rosarita brand vegetarian refried beans
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 avocados
- 1½ tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon dried cilantro, or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
- 1½ cups sour cream (I used light)
- 1¼ cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup diced grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 small can sliced olives (4 oz.)
- 1-2 green onion stalks, chopped
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together beans, oregano, onion powder, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Spread in a thin layer in a 9X13 pan or a comparable sized dish.
- Peel and seed avocados and place in a small mixing bowl. Mash together with sour cream, salt, and juice of 1 lime. Stir in dried or fresh cilantro. Spread avocado mixture over beans, coming almost to the edge of the bean mixture.
- Spread sour cream on top, coming almost to the edge of the avocado mixture.
- Spread salsa on top, coming almost to the edge of the sour cream.
- Sprinkle cheese covering salsa almost to the edge.
- Arrange tomatoes, olives and green onions on top of cheese.
- Cover tightly and chill for at least an hour. Serve cold with chips.
