Eats: Layered Bean Dip

There is just something that I love so much about party food. If I could eat snack food everyday for dinner I would do it. This dish is a food that I grew up on. My stepmom would make it a few times a year. Most of the time my sister and I would end up sitting in the kitchen eating all of it in one sitting. Well, actually we still do this when this dip is made. One thing I love about this dish is that you can easily change up the ingredients. The version that I made for this post is not the version that I grew up on. I have made some changes to make it a bit more healthy, however it is just as good if not better!

The first layer is refried beans! I try to make as many things from scratch as possible, so I started with a can of pinto beans and drained them. I added the beans to a sauté pan on medium heat with olive oil and cooked for ten minutes. Because this dip leans to the Mexican seasoning side I added half a tablespoon of each cayenne and chili powder. Once the beans are cooked through I put them in the blender with a quarter cup of veggie stock and pureed the beans. After the beans are pureed layered them in the bottom of a glass dish. I let the beans cool for thirty minutes before I added the next layer. However, if you aren’t up for making refried beans, pick up a can of your favorite refried beans.

The second layer is my ultimate favorite layer. Its a greek yogurt and taco seasoning. I could eat this stuff all by itself (and I have in the past). With the recipe that I grew up with it was a mixture of mayo and sour cream, however I try not to keep either in the house. So I switched them out for greek yogurt and it works just a well. I took a cup of greek yogurt and mixed it with equal parts cayenne, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic salt, and chili/lime seasoning (from Trader Joe’s). You want the mixture to be a reddish color once you’ve added the seasoning. It ends up being just over one tablespoons of each.

I choose to skip the avocado layer most of the time when I make this. Don’t get me wrong I love avocado. However, when I’m making this for just Josh and I, I know there will be leftovers and the avocados start to turn brown before we eat all of it. To add the avocado layer, mash two avocados with lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix up and layer between the bean and yogurt layer.

Next step is cheese. I tend to lean for a good sharp cheddar and Colby Jack mixture. You want more of a mild cheese so you can get the flavors of all the layers. I added just over a cup of shredded cheese.

The finally layer is all about customization. I tend to lean for fresh heirloom tomatoes, black olives, and green onion. I made a diced mixture of bell pepper, white onion and red onion that I added a small amount of. I topped it off with a touch of pepper, feel free to skip this step if you want. However, you can add just about any chopped veggies that you love on this layer!

Layer Bean Dip

1 can pinto beans, drained
1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Cobly Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup of vegetable stock
1/4 cup heirloom tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1/4 cup green onion, diced
1 1/2 tablespoon cayenne
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 table spoon chili/ lime seasoning

1. In a sauté pan over medium heat with olive oil add you pinto beans and 1/2 tablespoon of cayenne and chili powder. Cook for ten minutes.
2. Add you beans to a blender with the veggie stock and blend until smooth. Add mixture to your glass pan and let cool for 30 minutes.
3. Combine greek yogurt with cayenne, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic salt and chili/lime seasoning. Mix until combine and layer over the beans.
4. Sprinkle the sharp cheddar and Colby Jack cheese over the yogurt.
5. Top off with heirloom tomatoes, black olives, and green onions.