7-ish Layer Almost-Vegan Dip

7-ish_Layer_Almost-Vegan_Dip.md

7-ish Layer Almost-Vegan Dip

Main Ingredients:

• 6 oz. Guacamole
• Salsa
• 1 can refried black beans (Amy's Refried Black Beans recommended)
• 1/2 - 3/4 lb. browned taco beef
• Cheese (Cheddar, Colby Jack), shredded or diced
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
• Sliced Olives, 1 small can
• Shredded Lettuce (only if expected to be eaten all at once)
• Hot Sauce (Valentina preferred)

Taco Seasoning:

• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Hot Sauce

Directions:

1. Begin pan frying can of refried beans (or use thrice-fried beans, I suppose). This is a good time to season the beans to taste (see note below). You want to cook most of the free moisture out of the beans.
2. Spread layer of Guacamole.
3. Spread layer of Salsa.
4. When done frying Beans, spread layer on top of Salsa.
5. Brown and break apart beef with Oil, Chili Powder, Cumin, Paprika, Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, and optionally Hot Sauce.
6. When done frying Beef, spread layer on top of Beans, trying to smoosh into the beans without squeezing the Guacamole and salsa from the bottom.
7. Spread layer of Cheese.
8. Spread layer of Lettuce.
9. Spread layer of Tomatoes and Olives.

Notes:

I typically make this in a 8x6x2" dish, and it just fits.

Given the viscosity of beans and beef compared with Guacamole and Salsa, so my first iteration I made it with the beans on the bottom, and smooshed the beef into it, with cheese on top of that, then the rest of the ingredients layered on top. While it tasted fine, having the bottom layer be so thick and heavy made it nearly impossible to scoop a chip directly into the dip. Without heavy-duty chips, they would often break, or you would have to spoon dip out.

The way that I typically serve and eat this now is to scoop into a dish, sprinkle sauce, and then stir/mix vigorously until it's all pliable and won't destroy the chips with it's viscosity.

Guac on the bottom layer with salsa on top helps to keep the guac from oxidizing.

Be careful with adding more salt for flavor. Sometimes the beans could use a little additional seasoning, but be conservative. The taco seasoning, cheese, salsa, tortilla chips, and sometimes guac all contribute salt.