Fourth of July Layered Bean Dip

I do love to make a Patriotic "something" for fourth of July, be it appetizer, main dish, side dish or dessert. It just helps make the meal and the day more fun don't you think?  This year's "something", is an  American Flag layered Bean Dip.  It is quick and simple, and would be great to bring to potlucks or picnics. It can be eaten cold or hot; I prefer it hot, but my hubby says he would take it either way without hesitation, so of course serve it the way you like.

Ingredients:
2 16 ounce cans re-fried beans, or the equivalent homemade (about 4 cups).
2  cups salsa
2 1/2 cups shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
1 1/2 -2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in chunks
1/2 medium white onion, minced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
salt, pepper and onion powder
Blue Corn Chips

Optional Ingredients: These optional ingredients can be layered over the salsa, and under the cheese and sour cream, to keep your colors consistent for the flag.
Chopped green chilies, chopped green peppers, chopped jalepenos, guacamole, corn, fried ground beef or Chorizo

Directions:
In a 10 x 13 rectangular serving dish layer the following:

1. Begin with the re-fried beans spread evenly over bottom of dish. Season with salt and pepper
2. Top with Salsa.
3. Cover with shredded Pepper Jack Cheese.
4. Spread  sour cream over cheese. Sprinkle with onion powder.
5. Place chopped Tomatoes as stripes.
6. Add shredded Pepper Jack Cheese over the remaining sour cream stripes.
7. Top the cheese with minced white onion.
8. Place sliced Olives in the upper left hand corner as the blue background, allowing for a few gaps of white sour cream to show through for the stars.

Serve Cold, or Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, for a hot dip.
Serve with Blue Corn Chips

Spread re-fried beans on bottom of pan.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Top with salsa.

 

 Cover with shredded Pepper Jack Cheese.

  

 Spread sour cream over cheese. Sprinkle lightly with onion powder.

 

Lay tomatoes chunks into red stripes.

Cover the exposed sour cream with the remaining Pepper Jack Cheese, then top the cheese with minced onion.

Use sliced olives for the blue square of the flag, leave little spaces of white to show through for the stars.

Serve cold....

or bake for 20 - 30 minutes in a 350 degree, oven, and serve hot.

Little fingers can't resist.....

Enjoy!