What is a Seven Layer Dip?

Seven layer dip is a party dip that combines a number of ingredients to create a multi-layered food that is ideal for serving with corn or tortilla chips. Because of the mixture of ingredients that are used to create the various layers, dips of this kind are visually attractive as well as providing a wide range of flavors for guests to enjoy. While dips of this type do require some preparation time, the result is well worth the effort.

A basic seven layer dip recipe involves use ground beef, refried beans, and grated cheese as the first layers for the dish. Sour cream and guacamole follow, along with a layer of salsa placed on the guacamole. To finish off the seen layer dip, chopped onions, diced tomatoes, and chopped black olives round out the list of ingredients. Combined, the colors found in the foods used to create seven layer dip provide a festive appearance that is almost as enjoyable as the taste.

To begin preparation, the ground beef must be crumbled and browned in a skillet. Any excess grease should be drained from the cooked meat. Before beginning to assemble the dip, it is important to allow the ground beef to cool to room temperature. While the meat cools, the refried beans can be prepared. To save time and effort, canned refried beans will work very well in this recipe. Make sure to heat up the refried beans, stirring them while they heat. This will help create a consistency that will make it easy to create the bean layer of the dip. Like the ground beef, allow the beans to cool to room temperature before proceeding.

While the beans and ground beef cool, use the time to chop the olives, onions, and tomatoes. Another time saver is to use commercial sour cream, guacamole, and salsa instead of preparing them from scratch. Open the containers and place them within easy reach, as it is important to assemble the layers quickly once the process is begun.

With everything in place, begin assembling the seven layer dip by creating a layer of the refried bean mixture. Place a layer of ground beef on top of the beans and follow up with grated cheese. Sour cream is next in the layers, followed by guacamole and then the salsa. All through this process, take care to make sure the layers are more or less the same thickness.

In quick succession, add a layer of black olives, then tomatoes and finally the onions. For a striking effect, use green or purple onions rather than white onions. The extra hint of color will further enhance the visual appeal of the dip.

Seven layer dip can be served immediately after completing the preparation, or the dish can be assembled in advance and refrigerated for later use. While many people prefer seven layer dip to be chilled, others enjoy the blend of flavors and textures when the dip is at room temperature. Use dip style corn chips or tortilla chips to easily scoop the dip out of the serving dish. As a variation on standard dips that revolve around one main ingredient, a seven layer dip can add that little something extra that makes the party even more of an occasion for your guests.