Last Saturday was Little Miss’s First Communion, which means I’m hosting a big party (again). I love doing it, and one of my tricks to making it somewhat unstressful is to make food that can be done in advance as much as possible. Since it was almost Cinco de Mayo, I went with a Mexican theme and made a bunch of my favorites.
I made my Spanish rice the day before and simply reheated it with a little bit of stock in a crock pot. I made the Chicken Tinga the day before and reheated it on the stove in a big cast iron pot that would keep it warm. I prepped my awesome guacamole, roasting the onions, tomatoes, and poblano the day before, chopping everything but the avocados, and juicing my citrus. That meant all I had to do was cut up the avocados, dump everything together, and stir. I cheated by buying a precut fruit salad, and my mom brought a regular salad.
All that was left was one more dish that I could make mostly ahead of time that was vaguely Mexican. So of course you know I’m missing a seven-layer dip, right? Except… I sort of don’t like seven-layer dips that much. I don’t like sour cream, which is pretty much standard. And the guacamole in them is usually meh. And it needs more texture and a kick-up in flavor.
But hey, I could make the vast majority of a seven-layer dip ahead of time and put in only what I like, right? And again, desperation is the mother of invention.
How to Make Non-Traditional Seven Layer Dip
Some links in this article are affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
Brown your ground beef like you’re making tacos, and crumble it while it’s cooking. Drain once it’s fully cooked, and stir in the fajita seasoning while it’s still warm. Let it cool while you prepare the rest of the dish.
In a deep dish that is oven safe – I used a small casserole – place the refried beans and spread to ensure that they are evenly covering. This is your base layer.
Add about 1 1/2 cups of your shredded cheese. Again, ensure that the layer is fairly even.
Place your black beans atop the cheese.
Add the ground beef over the beans. If you are preparing this ahead of time, as I did, stop here, cover your dish and refrigerate it. You can heat it up the next day, and then continue with the remaining steps.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Place the oven-safe dish inside uncovered. If you’re doing this without refrigerating, bake for about 10 minutes. If you refrigerate it, you’ll want to add another 10-15 minutes to ensure everything gets hot and the cheese melts.
Remove from the oven and immediately add the salsa on top. Add the remaining shredded cheese over the salsa, and the chopped tomatoes over the cheese. The sliced green onions go on the very top. If you are adding guacamole as an eighth layer, go ahead and put it on over the salsa and under the cheese. Sadly, I didn’t have guacamole to spare because of the 8 avocados I bought, five were b.a.d. to the point where I got a refund from the store who told me there was something wrong with the batch they had and they couldn’t even make their house-made guacamole last weekend. Serve sour cream on the side for those people who like it. Or ok ok ok, I know I’m in the minority. Go ahead and put the sour cream on top of the tomatoes. Just don’t serve it to me that way!
Serve immediately, and keep warm on a hot plate if you can. This is great with chips, and some people just took tortillas and essentially made tacos of it. By the end of the party, it was completely gone, so I had no leftovers to see how long it will last.
Non-Traditional 7 Layer Dip
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- 1 can refried beans
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa the smokier the better!
- 3/4 cup tomatoes chopped
- 2 green onions choped
- 1 cup guacamole
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and break up as it cooks. Drain once it's fully cooked, and stir in fajita seasoning while still warm, then set aside.1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- In a deep oven safe dish, spread refried beans to cover the bottom.1 can refried beans
- Add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Place your black beans atop cheese. Add the ground beef over beans.2 cups cheddar cheese, 1 can black beans
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and immediately add salsa layer, then guacamole, followed by sour cream. Add remaining shredded cheese over salsa. Top with chopped tomatoes and sliced green onions on top.1 cup salsa, 3/4 cup tomatoes, 1 cup guacamole, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 green onions
- Serve immediately, and keep warm on a hot plate if possible.
Equipment
- Chefman Electric Warming Tray with Adjustable Temperature Control, Perfect For Buffets, Restaurants, Parties, Events, and Home Dinners, Glass Top Large 21" x 16" Surface Keeps Food Hot – Black
- Chefman Electric Warming Tray with Adjustable Temperature Control, Perfect For Buffets, Restaurants, Parties, Events, and Home Dinners, Glass Top Large 21" x 16" Surface Keeps Food Hot – Black
Notes
- This is great for a party. Feel free to cut it in half or quarter for a smaller gathering. Just set out the chips, and watch it disappear!
- You can make much of this ahead of time. Prep through step 3, then stop here, cover your dish and refrigerate it. Add another 10-15 minutes to the bake time to ensure everything gets hot and the cheese melts.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
[…] I eat out at a Mexican restaurant, refried beans and rice with a little queso fresco? Yum! Or 7 layer dip. That’s one of your favorite party foods, too, isn’t […]
This is a keeper.
Oh it is SO a keeper. It’s one of those recipes that makes me want to have a party just so I have the excuse to make it again….