Author Notes
Everyone loves seven-layer dip, but it often involves ground beef, which I am obviously not cool with so I just left out the seventh layer and made this a six-layer dip. Blasphemy, I know, but it’s tasty, I swear, and you’ll never miss that seventh layer. Although there are quite a few components (six, in fact!), none of them are complicated to make and the whole thing comes together in about a half hour. The key to the success of this dip is making it all from scratch – no scary pre-made gummy guacamole, no jarred and over-onioned salsa, no canned refried beans (although yes I did use canned black beans, but they were sodium-free, so there), and cheese you shred by hand (because the pre-shredded stuff has all kinds of odd ingredients in it to keep it from clumping and spoiling – no thank you). —raspberryeggplant
Ingredients
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1
pint cherry or grape tomatoes
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1-2
jalapeno peppers
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2 tablespoons
finely minced red onion
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1 tablespoon
chopped cilantro
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1/8 teaspoon
salt
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1 tablespoon
canola oil
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1
garlic clove
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1/8 teaspoon
cumin powder
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1/8 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
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1/4 cup
long grain rice
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1/8 teaspoon
salt
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1 teaspoon
tomato paste
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1/3 cup
water
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1 tablespoon
canola oil
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1
clove garlic
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1
can black beans (15 oz)
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1/8 teaspoon
salt (use only if beans are unsalted)
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1
ripe avocado
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1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed lime juice
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1
garlic clove
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1/4 teaspoon
salt
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1 tablespoon
chopped cilantro
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4 ounces
cheddar or jack cheese, shredded on the large holes of a grater (don't use pre-shredded!)
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1/2 cup
sour cream (low-fat works just fine)
Directions
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Make the pico de gallo:
Finely chop the tomatoes and transfer to a medium bowl. Cut the jalapenos in half and remove the ribs and seeds, then finely chop and add to the bowl. Add the onion, cilantro, and salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
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Make the rice:
Heat the canola oil in a small pot set over medium heat. Peel and finely chop the garlic, then add to the pot when the oil is hot. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for another 10 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the water, tomato paste, and salt, and stir well to combine. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
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Make the refried beans:
Heat the canola oil in a small pot set over medium heat. Peel and finely chop the garlic, then add to the pot when the oil is hot. Cook for 30 seconds, than add the can of beans and the liquid. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is thick but still has some liquid remaining, about 10 minutes.
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Make the guacamole:
Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh out of each half and into a medium bowl. Use a fork to gently mash the avocado (leave some large chunks) and sprinkle the lime juice over the avocado. Peel and chop the garlic, then sprinkle the salt over the garlic. Use the edge of your knife to scrape the salt over the garlic – you’ll end up with a paste. Transfer the paste to the bowl and add the cilantro, then mash the mixture to combine. Don’t overdo it – you want some chunks of avocado to remain.
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Assemble the dip:
Make sure the beans and rice are hot so that the cheese melts. If necessary, reheat both.
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Spread the refried beans in the bottom of a 9” glass pie plate or other similiarly-sized dish. Spread the shredded cheese evenly over the beans. Spread the rice over the cheese. Top with the guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo (the order really doesn’t matter, but finishing with the pico de gallo is easier since the guac and sour cream are easier to spread over the rice).
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