7-layer dip

If you love snack food and appetizers as much as me you may be dreaming of Super Bowl Sunday not because of the game but because of the food. I love football food! And by this I mean wings, nachos, chips and dip, veggies and dip, anything and dip, and of course, 7-layer dip!

There are many version of 7-layer dip out there. As far as I can tell most of them fall into one of two camps: hot or cold. My sister makes a delicious version that is an entirely hot dip that mixes beans, corn, cheeses, salsa and I am sure a few other things. My husband, on the other hand, loves a cold 7-layer dip. And somehow, I fall somewhere in the middle of those extremes. I think this is mostly because I can't quite understand eating cold refried beans and melted cheese is delicious!

My method of 7-layer dip begins with a can of refried beans spread over the bottom of a casserole dish. I top that with pickled jalapenos and shredded cheese. I stick this in the oven (usually at 350) until the beans are hot and the cheese is melted (usually 15-20 minutes).

Then I top the hot ingredients with the cold ingredients. I don't believe that 7-layer dip has to stick with only 7 layers and so I add on whatever sounds good.

For example, I next spread some sour cream on top of the beans and cheese. And then a layer of sliced black olives is always yummy.

And then chopped or mushed avocado is great if they are some good ripe ones to be found.

Next, I like to layer on the salsa. And finally, I top this off with chopped green onions.

Dip in a chip and enjoy the football!