6 Layer Mexican Dip With Taquitos

There are dozens, and probably hundreds of recipes for the famous 7 Layer Mexican Dip. And they are all pretty much the same, just each person adds or takes away ingredients as they please.  Mine is a 6 layer because I don't put olives on. I do, however, mix in something with the sour cream that I got from my mom - who by the way makes an 8 layer Mexican Dip.

This dip is traditionally a side dish, but I serve it for dinner because instead of serving it with chips, I serve it with beef taquitos! It's a great dish for when you need to throw something together fast, or you are just too tired to go all gourmet on your family.

6 Layer Mexican Dip with Taquitos

Ingredients:

2 cans Refried Beans (16 oz cans)
Guacamole*
16 oz sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. taco seasoning
Salsa*
Cheddar cheese, grated*
Shredded Lettuce*
Frozen taquitos (about 4-5 per person)

*The measurement depends on what looks good to you.

Instructions:

1. Layer ingredients in order with the refried beans on the bottom and the shredded lettuce on the top in a 9x13 pan.**
2. Mix the sour cream and taco seasoning together before layering them in the dish.
3. Store in fridge until ready.
4. Bake Taquitos according to package directions.

**A 9x13 is way too big for my family, so I cut the recipe into 1/4th and layer it in this dish:

Estimated Calories: 258 calories per serving (does not include taquitos), with one serving being 1/16th of a 9x13.
Suggested Sides: fruit salad

Homemade French Fries

Homemade french fries are the perfect addition to your BBQ! They are simple enough to make, but if you are new to frying in a deep fryer, fries are the first food you should try.

Though you can fry any food in any pan/container that can heat oil, I would highly recommend a Fry Daddy deep fryer. The reason why is because you can leave the oil (I use Crisco shortening) inside the Fry Daddy after frying, let it harden, and then reuse it the next time you want to fry something! Other pans and deep fryers require you to remove the oil, which means you have to either throw it out or properly store it elsewhere until next time (which is a pain).

Homemade French Fries

Ingredients:

Potatoes, sliced

Oil (I use Crisco shortening)

Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Instructions: 

1. Heat oil (for a Fry Daddy the oil is ready approximately 15 minutes after being plugged in).

2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and slice them: slicing lengthwise into thirds and then those into thirds (total of 9 slices per potato) generally makes a good size.

3. When oil is ready, us an oil strainer to place fries in oil. Use the strainer to rotate the fries every once in a while so that they don't stick together. When they are golden brown they are ready (aprox. 2-3 minutes). Remove them and place them on a paper towel to drain.

4. Sprinkle fries with Lawry's Seasoning Salt.

*Note: Fries cool very quickly, so I would recommend having them be the last food you prepare before serving dinner.

Estimated Calories: 210 calories per 9 fries (This is more of a guess than an actual calculation. There are several formulas when figuring out calories for fried foods. I just picked the easiest one. It really depends on the oil you use, how thick you cut the potato, and how long it sits in the oil.)

My favorite burger recipe to serve with these fries is from Kraft:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/mini-cheeseburgers-112482.aspx

CAUTION: Serious injury can occur when working with hot oil. Please read all of the instructions in the owner's manual of your deep fryer before frying.