Name: Really Homemade Seven Layer Dip
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 15-ounce pinto beans ((2 cups)); 4 tsp taco seasoning mix; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt; 2 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) ((1/2 cup)); 1 tomato (diced); 1 jalapeno (finely chopped); 3 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped); 2 tbsp sliced black olives

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This easy seven layer dip recipe is homemade – meaning less processed and more deliciousness! It’s the perfect appetizer for the holidays.

Thanksgiving is coming! A peek at the grocery fliers tells me it’s true. I love Thanksgiving. It just might be my favorite holiday.

Remember, I’m just here for the food.

Last year I caused quite a stir with some of you when I suggested omitting the turkey from our Thanksgiving celebration. Well, I’ve been musing that thought again this morning. And I think I’m gonna do it.

[Gasps heard round the world.]

Don’t get me wrong. I may still stock up on sale birds since it’s such a great deal on poultry. But honestly? Dealing with a huge turkey on Thanksgiving Day just makes me grumpy. Last year hubs and I discussed doing tri-tip instead, but today I’m leaning toward chicken. It’s affordable and still goes with all the trimmings that we love: stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce.

Alternatively, I might just cook a turkey in advance and freeze it. I dunno. The jury’s still out. Anywho….

This month on URS we’ll be waltzing through the Thanksgiving meal, swapping ideas for the other courses. You’re free to debate the turkey v. no turkey question in the comments section.

This week, let’s start with starters. I love to have a variety of hors d’oeurves available on Thanksgiving so that if my meal is late, as it’s apt to be, my people aren’t starving. Or whining.

Ingredients for this really homemade seven layer dip recipe

This layer, of course, has 7 layers to it. To make it homemade, we made our own pinto beans and taco seasoning mix. You can always add in your own favorite toppings. If you like it a little spicy, add a little jalapeno!

I think you’ll be surprised at how yummy the healthy version is. Feel free to use all Greek yogurt or all sour cream if you prefer. You’ll need to mix up a batch of my taco seasoning mix and do a little mashing and stirring. But, you had to do that with the traditional recipe, too.

Pinto Beans – You can use canned bean or try making your own homemade pinto beans!
Taco Seasoning Mix – To make this truly homemade try making your own homemade taco seasoning mix. It’s really easy!
Dairy – You want to add greek yogurt, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.
Veggies – For a classic dip, we added diced tomato, bell pepper, cilantro, and olives.

How to make this 7 layer dip

Start with combining the beans and taco seasoning. In a small bowl, mash the beans until only a few chunks remain. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the taco seasoning mix.
Combine the dairy (minus the cheese!) In another small bowl, combine the sour cream, greek yogurt, and remaining tablespoon taco seasoning.
Assemble the layers – On a small plate, spread the beans almost to the edge. Spread the sour cream mixture over the beans. Sprinkle the cheese over the sour cream. Continue sprinkling the remaining layers, peppers, olives, and cilantro.
Don’t forget the chips!

Other appetizers to serve during the holiday season

This typically includes a relish tray, a veggie assortment, nuts, and maybe some cheese and crackers. If we have a crowd, I might add my Healthier Spinach Dip.

One dish that my mom often included in her Thanksgiving spread was Traveling Taco. I have no idea why she called it this; you might have heard it called Seven Layer Dip. I loved this dip growing up.

Usually we made it with processed bean dip, packaged taco seasoning, canned salsa…. you get the picture. It was a highly processed, if not convenient appetizer to make and to share at a pot luck.

I decided to give Ye Olde Seven Layer Dip a make-over by making it as unprocessed as I could, but still make it easy. You gotta have easy if you’re a mom and it’s Thanksgiving.

It’s the law.

How long does seven layer dip recipe last in the fridge?

This dip will last about 3-4 days in the fridge. You may find that the longer it sits, the watery it gets. Just simply drain off the extra liquid and dig in!

How to make this cheap:

Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on cheese, I buy several packages. Same goes for greek yogurt. It’s a great way to save money on your groceries.
Do a price comparison. I know that ALDI is the best place to buy ingredients like greek yogurt and cream cheese when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
Buy spices in bulk. Buying spices is cheapest in bulk at your local health food store. You aren’t committed to buying a large container. You can actually buy just what you need.

Tools I use to make this recipe easy:

This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.

Pyrex pint-sized glass bowls with plastic lids – for storing the prepared dip
Rubber spatula – to make sure you don’t waste a bit of the good stuff

If you prepare this recipe, be sure to take a picture and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!

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