Mexican Seven Layer Dip

Another favorite recipe from work - so popular that I had to make two pans .... pan #1 would keep the wolves at bay (i.e. 'guys' hovering over the pan with their chips in hand waiting for the 'go' signal to all dive in at once) while the rest of us politely took turns dipping our chips in pan #2.

Way back when, depending on the season, ripe avocados were hard to come by, if you could find them at all. The recipe originally called for fresh tomatoes as well, but the grainy, tasteless tomatoes available at the grocery store just weren't providing the necessary 'taste' .... thus the modification to use the Rotel tomatoes (with chiles for some extra kick) & the guacamole dip. If it's summer & you have home-grown tomatoes & can find ripe avocadoes, go for it!

Mexican Seven Layer Dip

(modified from Dale W.'s recipe)

(Note: Lowfat or fat free refried beans, sour cream, cheese, etc. works well in this recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 package Taco seasoning, divided equally
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes with chiles, drained
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 5-6 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled or diced
• 8 oz. sour cream
• Guacamole:
• 8 oz. ready made guacamole dip or packaged avocado OR
• 1-2 avocados mashed & mixed with 8 oz. sour cream (in addition to sour cream above - total 16 oz. sour cream for the recipe).
• Jalapenos:
•  several tablespoons fresh jalapeno, diced OR
•  several tablespoons of pickled or plain jalapeno slices (jar), diced
•  2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, etc.)

       Optional:  1 small can of sliced black olives

To Assemble:

1. An aluminum sheet cake pan (1/4 sheet cake size) 12-1/4 x 8-1/4 x 1-1/4 or similar size works perfectly.
2. Mix refried beans with 1/2 of Taco seasoning & evenly spread in pan
3. Sprinkle drained Rotel tomatoes/chiles on top of beans
4. Sprinkle onions & bacon on top of beans
5. Carefully spread guacamole over tomato/bacon/onion layer
6. Sprinkle jalapenos (to taste) & black olives (if using) over guacamole
7. Mix 8 oz. of sour cream with remaining 1/2 of Taco seasoning & spread over previous layer
8. Cover sour cream layer with shredded cheese

Best made at least a couple of hours ahead of serving to allow flavors to blend

**Mexican Potato Bake:
    use this dip as a generous topping for baked potatoes. Delicious!!

**Individual cups:
    layer dip in inidividual small clear cups (8 oz with a wide 
    'mouth' would work well). The layers look pretty & everybody has
    their own dip & doesn't have to keep running back to the dip pan.

    Here's a link for the individual dip cups idea:

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/12/individual-seven-layer-dips.html