Bean Dip for the Courteous Super Bowl Party Guest

On the list of party faux pas, showing up to a Super Bowl party empty-handed falls somewhere between using up all the toilet paper and spilling red wine on the couch. There are few things worse than the guest who eats all the guacamole, but doesn’t bring any of his or her own.

While it doesn’t matter what you bring—beer, wings, Chinese food…all will suffice—there is one satisfying staple that will prevent you being “that guest”: 7-layer bean dip. But before you dig up that old recipe you learned in college, check out this new one below, courtesy of Workman’s newest cookbook Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwagon.  Go ahead! It’s what the courteous Super Bowl party guest would do.

 

7-Layer Tex-Mex Mountain

• 3 to 4 soft-ripe Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 bunches of scallions, derooted, whites and about 3 inches of  green chopped
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, well rinsed, stemmed, and finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapenos, minced
• 2 to 2 ½ cups refried beans, either homemade or canned
• 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded sharp cheese, preferably a combination of Monterey Jack and Cheddar
• 3 large tomatoes, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups sour cream or thick, full-fat unsweetened plain yogurt (Greek-style is ideal here)
• 1 cup sliced California black olives, drained
• A few large red-leaf lettuce leaves (optional)
• Red, yellow, and/or blue tortilla chips, for serving

 

1. Place the avocados, lemon juice, and salt in a medium size bowl and coarsely mash together with a fork. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, and minced jalapeno. Set aside.
3. Spread the refried beans on the bottom of a glass pie pan. Spread the avocado mixture on top, then the scallion mixture, then the cheese and then the tomatoes. Cap the mountain with the sour cream or yogurt, and lastly, sprinkle with the circle of black olives. If you like, poke a few lettuce leaves around the mountain’s base to frame it decoratively.
4. Place the tortilla chips in a bowl (or separate bowls, by color) alongside.

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer.