For The Best Super Bowl Party 7 Layer Dip Don't Forget This Secret Ingredient

What will you be serving at your Super Bowl watch party? Whether you're inviting all the neighbors or planning a solo celebration, one of the easiest appetizers is a bowl of dip and a bag of chips. Some of the top-searched game day dip recipes include buffalo chicken dip, cheese dip, and bean dip, but one enduring classic is seven-layer dip, which can be a whole damn meal by itself. We're not proposing adding an eighth layer with our secret ingredient since seven is plenty, but rather, suggesting that you enhance one of the main components. When heating the refried pinto beans, all you need to do is stir in a little liquid gold: bacon grease, which is everyone's favorite porky byproduct.

If you want to make those canned refried beans even better, warm them in bacon grease infused with extra flavorings like cumin, chipotle powder, or chopped chiles. Stirring in some bacon bits will amp things up even more –- after all, you had to fry some bacon to get that grease, didn't you? Bacon grease can also be used if you're making homemade frijoles refritos. Rendered pork fat (aka lard) is traditional, but bacon grease adds a smoky note that really elevates the beans.

Two tablespoons of bacon grease should be enough to flavor your beans. If you're going to spice it up, add the seasonings to the grease as you warm it — letting the mixture infuse for two or three minutes before stirring in the refried beans. The liquid from the grease will probably be plenty to loosen up dry beans, but you can always add broth if you prefer them practically pourable. You could also try a different type of flavorful fat — fry up some chorizo, then use a few tablespoons of the grease to season the beans. The chorizo can also serve as an extra layer in the dip.

In addition to bacon grease, there are plenty of other not-so-secret ingredients that can be used to tweak your standard seven-layer dip into something truly Super Bowl-worthy. The classic form of the dip, dating back to the '70s or '80s, typically includes refried beans, mashed avocado or guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo, sliced black olives, and sliced green onions. One typical add-in is to flavor the sour cream with something like taco seasoning, but you can also change up the refritos by using black beans. Grab some canned refried black beans or simply mash up cooked beans — and heat them in seasoned bacon grease, as above. Add or subtract ingredients from your dip at will, depending on your preferences or those of your party guests (not everyone's a black olive fan). After all, who's going to be counting the layers when they're focused on football?