Ultimate Six (or Seven) Layer Dip

First, let me say that I really should have posted this recipe a few days ago so people could have made it for Memorial Day - what was I thinking?! Now that that's out of the way, you must (MUST) make this for your next BBQ / Office Potluck / Picnic (that I'm not attending, because I'll totally be making it).

I've provided the FULL recipe and it's awesome, but now that I've made it a few times, I gotta cut some corners - it just takes too damn long. My suggestions are at the bottom. If you want, make it the long way first and you'll see what I mean. Or just trust me. ;)

Also, I found this at America's Test Kitchen, that's why there are "test notes" in the recipe.

Ultimate Seven Six Layer Dip
(Mine is only 6 layers, don't judge)

With bold Southwestern flavors and contrasting textures, seven-layer dip sounds like a hit. The ingredient list—refried beans, sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, diced tomatoes, scallions, and black olives—is appealing, but most versions of this party classic assume that guests won't notice the layers are messy and the flavors are tired.

Test Kitchen Discoveries
Canned refried beans tasted stale, and their pasty consistency shattered chips on contact. Making our own refried beans was time-consuming, so we tried canned black beans instead. When mashed with fresh garlic, chili powder, and lime juice, they produced a flavorful bean layer. Sour cream on its own quickly became watery, but combining it with cheese (our tasters preferred the creamy kick of pepper Jack) gave its layer more structure.

4 large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped fine
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
6 scallions, 2 minced and 4 with green parts sliced thin (white parts discarded)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus 2 teaspoons, from 2 limes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can black beans (16-ounces), drained but not rinsed
1–3 teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
4 slices cooked bacon , crumbled
3 cups Chunky Guacamole (If you don't have time to make fresh guacamole, simply mash 3 avocados with 3 tablespoons lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.)

1. Combine tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, minced scallions, and 2 tablespoons lime juice in medium bowl. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt and let stand until tomatoes begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Strain mixture into bowl and discard liquid.

2. Pulse black beans, chiles, garlic, remaining lime juice, chili powder, and remaining salt in food processor until it resembles chunky paste. Transfer to bowl and wipe out food processor. Pulse sour cream and 2 1/2 cups cheese until smooth. Transfer to separate bowl.

3. Spread bean mixture evenly over bottom of 8-inch square glass baking dish or 1-quart glass bowl. Spread sour cream mixture evenly over bean layer, and sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Spread guacamole over cheese and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and bacon and serve with tortilla chips. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let dip stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Ok, time for my notes.

1. Skip step 1 entirely and buy fresh pico de gallo from the store. Add lime and salt (to taste), let it sit for 30 minutes and then drain. That is a time consuming step for not a lot of payoff when you can buy it yourself (unless you love all that chopping).

2. Take the recipe's advice and don't make guacamole. You can buy this, or fresh avocado mashed with lime and salt is perfect (the latter is my recommendation).

3. Double the bean layer. Every time I've made this people are scraping the bottom of the dish trying to get to that layer - it's THAT GOOD. 4. The bacon is up to you. I leave it off so it's vegetarian friendly (thus the 6 layer vs. 7), but it's your call.

The rest of the recipe really needs to stay intact - even the part about blending the cheese. That makes a big difference so the sour cream doesn't get watery. I would have NEVER tried that, but it's genius. That's it. Enjoy!

Comments

[AmyB]

Why do I feel like I'm gonna see 14 of these at our next office party?

[lisa]

I can vouch for the absolutely fabulous deliciousness of this dip! I *may* have eaten about a quarter of the dish. :-)

[Kristin]

Amy - There better not be 14 of these at our next office party - I call dibs! Or maybe I'll have to start looking thru America's Test Kitchen for my next secret (dip) weapon...

Lisa - most of the recipe 'notes' were from our brainstorming session from my birthday. Haha. We ate enough of it that I really think we know what we're talking about. I call it research.

[Jen]

This is my new favorite dip I will be bringing to ALL family potlucks, on my married side of course (wouldn't want any competition). Then there is the added bonus that I am in PA so I can call it MY recipe and get away with it...Thank you :D