Marinated Goat Cheese

I was walking through the grocery store the other day and stumbled upon the cheese section ... ok, ok I was hording over the cheese section like a little cheese lord. Let's be honest, I make a bee line for the dang cheese section the moment I walk into the store. My obsession with cheese not withstanding, on this particular day I found a tub of marinated feta cheese. Of course I had to try it and what I found was soft cheese swimming around in this lovely pool of tangy olive oil with the tartness of a mildly sweet vinegar and spices. It was delicious! Crumbled on salads, over pastas, spread on crackers....or if you are like me, with a fork standing with the frig wide open. Love at first bite. I make all my own salad dressings so I figured, really, how hard can this be. I opted to take a stab at marinating goat cheese because I buy these massive logs of it at Costco and quite frankly, I'm swimming in goat cheese right now but you could absolutely make it with feta (truth be told I also marinated feta I bought at my farmers market...swoon!!) This is a great party hosting trick too!

Seven Layers of Dip Bliss

My mom’s seven layer dip is completely addictive. It’s an easy, party friendly dish that always disappears with a quickness. It’s just so hard to stop eating it! And it’s also pretty darn easy on the wallet, which I love.

You can customize it to your liking (lower in fat or higher in heat) but no matter what, you will find your friends asking for this one time and time again. We make it for super bowl every year, which I thoroughly enjoy more for the super food than the actual bowl. Regardless, this and my Game Day Chili are the best and easiest combo deal for sports fan get-togethers, or really any get-together. When having people over, which we do a lot, I always try to make stuff that is no fuss. Why spend the whole time in the kitchen? Take three minutes to put this dip together and you’ll have people happy and fed for at least the first half  (then you break into the chili).

Seven Layer Dip
(Adapted from A Girl and Her Kitchen’s Mom)

1 can refried beans
1 8oz container sour cream
½ cup mayo
½ package of taco seasoning
1 ½ cups guacamole
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar
12 cherry or grape tomatoes , quartered or halved depending on size
2 scallions, sliced thin
Handful of black olives, sliced
Handful of canned sliced jalapeños (optional)
Tortilla Chips
In a small bowl mix the sour cream, mayo and taco seasoning until well combined.

On a large flat (preferably round or oval) platter, spread the can of refried beans in a thin layer (about 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick). Then spread the guacamole in an even layer. Next, smooth on the sour cream mixture. Cover with shredded cheddar. Sprinkle tomatoes, scallions, olives and jalapeños (if using) over the top. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!