It's party or Super Bowl time and you need snacks and appetizers to feed all those hungry people in your living room. Seven layer dip is a great way to fill up  bellies. Many Super Bowl  recipes are not vegan. This one is! This is one of those great party snacks that really could be a meal to some. I've tasted many varieties of the seven layer dip. Some have been good, some have been alright, some have been not-so-good, and none ever had anything really special that made me want more. So, I came up with my own Super Bowl or party dip: Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight).

Ingredients for Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight):

Directions:

The first step in making Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight) for your Super Bowl or other party is to make Mama's Spicy Guacamole. Leave some extra pico de gallo for one of the dip layers. This creates the eighth layer and is optional. You'll also need to heat up some refried beans. Adding in some salsa can create a nice flavor. Now that you have those two steps done, you're ready to make Mama's Seven Layer Dip (or Eight). From this point, it's actually pretty easy.

You will now need to get out a 9 x 12 glass cake pan. The bottom layer in Mama's Seven Layer Dip is the refried beans. Spread those across the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some shredded vegan cheese and black olives atop the refried beans and put it in the oven for a couple minutes, until the cheese melts.

Next comes the guacamole and then the vegan sour cream. After that, comes the salsa. If you want homemade salsa, follow the pico de gallo recipe, except at the end, place all the ingredients into a blender. Now take the pico de gallo, mix some shredded lettuce (or your favorite leafy greens) in  and sprinkle that atop the other layers. You can also sprinkle some extra shredded vegan cheese and add some extra vegan sour cream to the top for effect. That makes the layer numbers change though, so if you're a perfectionist, go with the first option!

That's it! Now serve with your favorite tortilla chips and eat!

* This recipe serves 8, but can be doubled, tripled, etc.

More Superbowl-worthy recipes on Life Successfully:

Sometimes family get-togethers need a little spicing up. That's when I make my special guacamole dip. Friends and family have tried for years to get the recipe out of me, but to no avail. Now, I've finally gone and revealed it. Enjoy Mama's Spicy Guacamole Dip. But remember to use all organic and non-GMO ingredients for the full experience.

Ingredients:

4 Large Haas Avocados (They are best when the outside skin is dark and they have a soft, but not mushy feel.)
4 ripened Roma tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions/scallions
3 Serrano hot peppers (They are green like jalapeños, but are longer and skinnier)
Black Pepper (Crushed, in a shaker)
Garlic Powder (Powdered in a shaker)
Sea Salt
Tortilla Chips

Preparation:

Making the Pico de Gallo portion of the recipe:

Dice the tomatoes nice and small. Place them in a bowl.

Next, you'll need to get the green onions. Cut off the green part right above the area that splits to branch off. Discard the green area you cut off. There will still be some green left on your onion. Then, hold it upright and slice it halfway down the middle. Then, holding it together, slice halfway down the middle in the other direction. Your top half should be split in fourths. Hold it together and chop it up that way. Then, repeat the process until the entire green onion is cut up. You'll need about 4 of these. Put it in with the diced tomatoes.

Next, get the Serrano peppers. Slice off the top and bottom and discard those pieces. With the remaining middle sections, slice them much in the way of the green onions, only you'll need six sections. Once they are all cut up, dump them into the onion/tomato mixture. Blend those together and set them aside.

Making the spicy guacamole portion of the recipe:

Get out a separate bowl for your guacamole. First, cut the avocados in half, working the knife around the pit, but not trying to penetrate the pit. You should have the avocado as you can see in the avocado picture after pulling the sections apart. Do this to all four avocados.

Now, pull out all the pits and discard them or save them to plant. Then, get a spoon and scoop out all of the avocado out of the skin and into the bowl. If you see any brown parts, do not use those parts. The part you use should be green and soft.

Now, using a potato masher or a whisk, pound and smash the avocados until they are smooth. There should be no lumps at all. Now, you need to dump in  the pico de gallo you just made. Next, add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. You will generally need more garlic than salt and pepper.

Optional: Add fresh cilantro to taste

Now, your guacamole is ready to eat.

Enjoy!

Servings:

Well, that depends on how long it lasts. One person will usually eat enough for three! This recipe should generally serve 6-8. But again, people tend to eat more of this than they should.

Storage:

You should eat Mama's Spicy Guacamole Dip right away after preparing it. Don't count on leftovers, but if you happen to have any, refrigerate the guacamole in a sealed container. This usually only lasts 24-48 hours, longer if wax paper is placed in between the lid and storage container to create a better seal. Before sealing and refrigerating, you can use a couple squirts of lemon or lime juice as a preservative to help prevent browning.

Try with the following recipes for the Superbowl or other parties:

• Mama's Seven Layer Dip
• Texas Style Smoked BBQ Ribs
• Mama's Wings Seven Ways
• Southern Potato Salad
• Your Favorite Mexican Foods

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network