You know when you are at a party and all the yummy food is sitting out staring at you, but (if you are a dairy free and gluten free girl, like I am) you know you can’t have any of it?  All the dips seem to have dairy, and the creamy dips taunt you.  (Okay, that part might just be me.)  I gotta tell ya, even if you weren’t all that into dip before, suddenly you miss it.  Absence really can make the heart grow fonder, at least when food allergies are concerned…

 

When I received my Way Better Snacks Tortilla Chips I knew a creamy, decadent, over-the-top dip had to be made.  Of course, that didn’t mean I wanted to work that hard pulling it together.  It is for a party after all!  I just want it to look and taste like it took a long time to pull together.  I am that kind of sneaky!  🙂  Classic 7-layer dip has all kinds of dairy from the cheese to the sour cream.  Some recipes even have you cooking stuff up in butter, but not this little beauty.  Each layer can be made from scratch if you got your whole foodie pants on, OR you can use a nifty short cut and call it a day.  Either way, it is a snap to pull together and the taste is out of this world.  I served this dip up with Simply Sweet Chili, Unbeatable Blues and the Simply Sunny Multi Grain Tortilla Chips.  A little something different for all of us, as we couldn’t seem to narrow it down to just one.  🙂 Yum!

 

Alrighty, the “seven layer” in most seven layer dips sometimes are a bit of a stretch, and this is no different.  (blush)  I do have measurements, because it is a recipe and ya gotta have them and this is generally how I make the dip.  But I stay flexible depending on what is in my fridge or how much energy I have.  Feel free to eyeball it and make this dip your own.  Add your favorite things and have fun with it.  The layers I use are as follows:

  1. Refried Beans
  2. Simple Guacamole
  3. Taco Seasoned Creamy Layer
  4. Salsa
  5. Greens (green onions, thinly sliced spinach and fresh cilantro)
  6. Finely shredded carrots (it is not cheese, but it adds a dash a color and crunch with a bit of sweetness)
  7. Black Olives

Gluten Free Dairy Free Seven Layer Dip
Angela Litzinger @ test.angelaskitchen.com
Fills 8″ cake pan
There may seem to be a LOOOONNNG list of ingredients, however even when mixing this up from scratch, I can pull this together in 20 to 30 minutes.  When using the already made options, in about 10 to 15 minutes.  See?  Easy-peasy!  Either way is delicious!  
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Refried Beans Layer: (ingredients listed below or use a 15 ounce can of gluten & dairy free refried beans)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked drained pintos (or other bean of choice, like black, navy or cannellini) or a drained 15 ounce can of pinto beans
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 ounce can of mild diced green chilies, drained or 1/2 of a small jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced

1.  Heat oil on bottom of saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic until it releases its scent, then add beans (I use cannellini in the above pic), salt, cumin and water. Cook, stirring and mashing beans against the side of the pan with spoon until the consistency desired. Remove from heat. Stir in green chilies. Smooth onto the bottom of a 8″ clear glass cake pan in an even layer and pop into the fridge to cool while assembling your other layer components.  OR simply open a can of gluten and dairy free refried beans and smooth onto the bottom of the pan.

 

Simple Guacamole Layer: (ingredients listed below or one 7 ounce package of gluten and dairy free guacamole)

  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2.  Peel and chop avocados. (To see how to easily cut avocados, follow this link) Scoop avocado into a bowl. Add lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mash with a fork, mixing until your desired consistency. OR simply open a 7 ounce package of your favorite gluten and dairy free guacamole. Spread either guacamole over the refried bean layer in pan.

Taco Seasoned Creamy Layer:

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten free dairy free plain yogurt of choice (I used coconut yogurt that I had drained in a strainer to make a bit thicker) or gluten and dairy free sour cream replacement
  • 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten free chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3.  Mix gluten and dairy free yogurt or sour cream substitute with dried onion, salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and oregano until well blended. Smooth over guacamole layer.

Salsa Layer: (ingredients below or a 16 ounce jar of your favorite gluten and dairy free salsa)

  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes, cores removed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
  • 1/2 small jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste
4.  Mix tomato, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. OR simply open a 16 ounce jar of your favorite salsa. Carefully spread salsa over creamy layer. I accomplished this by dotting the salsa around the pan, then smoothing. This technique disturbed the creamy layer the least.
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Green Layer:
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh spinach
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

5.  Mix together green onions, spinach and cilantro. Sprinkle on top of salsa layer.

Carrot Layer: 1 small carrot (about 3 to 4 tablespoons shredded)

6.  Finely grate carrot and sprinkle on green layer.

Olive Layer: 1/4 cup sliced black olives

7.  Sprinkle olives on top of carrot layer.

Wrap pan and chill until you serve dip. Enjoy!

 

DISCLAIMER:  I was provided the Way Better Snacks Chips (one of each flavor) for free to try.   All opinions and words are my own.