Seven-layer dip for 12: seasoned refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheddar, black olives and green onions, built in one 9 × 13 pan. It takes about 30 minutes, needs no cooking and travels in the cooler, which makes it one of the easiest cold appetizers to bring to a tailgate.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 30 min · Total: about 30 min, plus time in the fridge
Home gear: a 9 × 13 in. pan with a lid (a foil pan with a lid works) and a fine-mesh strainer
Pack for the lot
- Dip, covered, in the cooler
- Tortilla chips
- A larger pan or tray to fill with ice under the dip
- Bag of ice
- Serving spoon
- Napkins
- Trash bags
Lot notes
- Fuel: none. No grill needed, so the grill is free for the mains, whether it's charcoal or propane.
- Holding it cold: sour cream and guacamole need to stay at 40°F or below. Keep the pan nested in ice and out of the sun. Toss it after 2 hours out, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F.
- Two pans beat one: for a big crowd, build 2 pans and keep the second in the cooler until the first runs out.
- Cleanup: scrape what's left into the trash bag. If it's a foil pan, the pan goes too.
Can you make seven layer dip the night before?
Yes. Build the beans, guacamole and sour cream the night before, with plastic wrap pressed onto the top. Add the pico, cheese, olives and green onions the morning of the game so the top stays fresh.
How do you keep seven layer dip cold at a tailgate?
Leave it in the cooler until you eat, then set the pan in a larger tray of ice in the shade. Don't leave it out past 2 hours, or 1 hour over 90°F.
How much seven layer dip do you need for 20 people?
Make 2 pans. That's 4 cans of refried beans, 2 packets of taco seasoning, 8 avocados, 4 cups of sour cream, 3 cups of pico, 4 cups of cheese, 2 cans of olives, 8 green onions and 4 bags of chips. It feeds up to 24.
How do you keep seven layer dip from getting watery?
Drain the pico in a strainer before it goes on, and add it the morning of the game rather than the night before. Spreading the guacamole to the edges under the sour cream also keeps it from browning.