Delicious American Flag Seven Layer Dip

Planning appetizers for summer parties and patriotic celebrations can feel like a puzzle, especially when you want something that’ll impress your guests without keeping you stuck in the kitchen all day. Between coordinating food for different dietary needs and making sure everything looks festive enough for the occasion, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

That’s where this American flag seven layer dip comes to the rescue: it’s a crowd-pleasing classic with a fun holiday twist, takes just minutes to assemble, and uses ingredients you can easily grab during your regular grocery run.

What Kind of Refried Beans Should I Use?

When it comes to refried beans, you’ve got several options at the grocery store that’ll work great in this dip. Traditional refried pinto beans are the most common choice and give that classic Mexican restaurant flavor, but you could also use refried black beans for a slightly different taste. Most stores carry both regular and vegetarian versions – the main difference is that traditional refried beans are made with lard while vegetarian ones use vegetable oils instead. If you’re buying canned beans, look for ones labeled “traditional style” or “authentic” for the richest flavor, and try to avoid the fat-free versions as they can be a bit dry and less creamy.

Options for Substitutions

This fun party dip is pretty flexible with substitutions. Here’s what you can swap if needed:

• Refried beans: You can use black beans (mashed) or pinto beans (mashed) instead. Just warm them up and season with the taco spices before using.
• Sour cream and cream cheese: Greek yogurt works great as a substitute for sour cream. For cream cheese, try using plain Greek yogurt cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese for a lighter option.
• Grated cheese: Any shredded cheese works here – try Mexican blend, sharp cheddar, or Monterey Jack. Just avoid mozzarella as it might be too mild.
• Blue corn tortilla chips: Regular tortilla chips work fine if you can’t find blue corn chips. For the flag design, you could use blue food coloring to dye some sour cream blue instead.
• Provolone cheese: White American cheese or mozzarella can work for the ‘stars’ portion of the flag design.
• Shredded lettuce: Try finely chopped cabbage or even spinach if you’re out of lettuce. Just make sure to chop it very finely.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Making

The biggest challenge when creating this patriotic dip is maintaining clean, distinct layers – to prevent mixing, make sure each layer is spread evenly and chilled for 15-20 minutes before adding the next one.

Liquid ingredients like salsa can make your dip runny and messy, so drain excess liquid from both the salsa and chopped tomatoes using a fine-mesh strainer, and pat the black olives dry with paper towels before placing them.

When creating the blue field with corn chips, avoid crushing them too small as they’ll get soggy quickly – instead, carefully arrange larger pieces in a neat square pattern, and save the “stars” (made from small cuts of provolone) for just before serving to keep them looking fresh.

For best results, assemble this dip no more than 4 hours before serving, keeping it refrigerated until party time, and consider placing small serving spoons in each section to help guests maintain the flag design while scooping.

What to Serve With Seven Layer Dip?

This festive seven layer dip is practically a party spread all by itself, but there are some great ways to round out your snack table! While tortilla chips are the obvious choice (and totally necessary), I like to add some variety with other dippers like crunchy vegetables – think carrots, celery, and bell pepper strips. To make it more of a meal, you could serve some grilled chicken fajitas or seasoned ground beef on the side, letting guests build their own tacos while using the dip as a topping. For a complete party spread, add some Mexican rice, a bowl of guacamole, and maybe some fresh fruit like watermelon or mango to balance out all those rich layers.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This patriotic dip stays good in the fridge for up to 3 days when covered tightly with plastic wrap. Keep in mind that the lettuce might get a bit wilted and the tomatoes could make things slightly watery after day one. For the best presentation and taste, try to enjoy this dip the same day you make it!

Make Ahead: Want to prep this dip in advance? You can prepare all the layers except the lettuce, tomatoes, and chips up to 24 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge, then add the fresh toppings just before serving. This way, everything stays crisp and fresh.

Leftovers: If you have leftovers, scoop them into a smaller container and cover well. The layers might mix a bit, but it’ll still taste great! Just remember that the chips should be stored separately in an airtight container at room temperature to keep their crunch.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	0 minutes
Total Time	15-20 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2500-2800
• Protein: 80-100 g
• Fat: 170-200 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-250 g

Ingredients

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 packet taco spices
• 8 oz sour cream
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 1 bag shredded lettuce
• Black olives
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 large chopped tomato
• Blue corn tortilla chips
• 1 slice provolone cheese

Step 1: Layer the Base Ingredients

Begin by mixing a can of refried beans with taco seasoning until well combined.

Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of a 9×13 glass pan.

Follow by adding a can of salsa as the next layer, spreading it evenly over the beans.

Scatter your olives on top of the salsa to create a flavorful layer.

Step 2: Add Lettuce and Cheese

On top of the olive layer, evenly distribute your bag of lettuce to form a fresh, crunchy layer.

Next, sprinkle a generous amount of shredded cheese over the lettuce, ensuring it covers the entire pan for cheesy goodness.

Step 3: Prepare the Sour Cream Mixture

In a separate bowl, mix together sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.

Take half of this mixture and spread it into the shape of a square in one corner of the layered dish.

This will be the base for the flag stars section.

Step 4: Create the Flag Stars Section

Crush your blue chips and sprinkle them over the square of sour cream mixture.

Use a small icing tip or another small round object to cut out tiny circles from a slice of provolone cheese.

Place these circles on top of the crushed blue chips to represent the stars.

Step 5: Decorate with White Stripes

Spoon the remaining sour cream mixture into a plastic baggie, then snip off a small corner of the bag.

Squeeze out 6 lines across the shredded cheese layer to form the white stripes of the flag.

Position them evenly for a neat appearance.

Step 6: Add Tomato Stripes and Serve

Sprinkle your diced tomatoes in between the sour cream lines to create the red stripes of the flag.

Once completed, your festive layered dip is ready to serve.

Enjoy this flavorful and creative dish at your gathering!