Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip

For New Year's Eve, I decided to make a dip instead of an actual dish since I was going to spend most of my time drinking wine.  I normally spend New Year's Eve with my family at home so I was safe to drink since I wasn't going to be driving anywhere.  I actually made this dip before for my work's Christmas luncheon, but this time, I was able to make it vegan.  So, even though this taco dip had sour cream and cream cheese (both vegan), I pigged out on it guilt-free.  You could eat this dip by itself, but it tasted so much better with baked chips.

I was very lucky to find vegan versions of sour cream and cream cheese at Simply Food.  I tasted each one before placing it in the dip and they both tasted like their regular dairy counterparts.  They're both made by the brand Tofutti and it looks as though this is the only brand available on Guam.  I'm not complaining though because both the sour cream and cream cheese tasted good.  The cream cheese was actually softer than regular cream cheese, but that was a good thing for me because it made mixing a whole lot easier.
Another great thing about these two products are that they're both non-hydrogenated (not injected with hydrogen gas).  What this means is they have significantly less cholesterol and saturated oils than their hydrogenated versions.  Here's a link I found that explains how hydrogenated food products endanger your health.  

The original recipe I found on the Internet uses tomato salsa as one of the layers, but I nixed that and went with chopped fresh roma tomatoes.  This made the dip have less sodium, and who doesn't love fresh ingredients?  In fact, I think I'll be adding more tomatoes the next time I make this dip.
When I finished adding all the layers, I warmed the dip in the oven just until the cheese started to melt.  Daiya's Shredded Cheddar Cheese melted perfectly in the oven, but it also tastes great just by itself.  If you're like me and prefer your dip warm, I suggest putting in the oven at 400F for about 10 minutes.  A word of caution though: Warming up the dip in the oven will probably cause it to become a little watery because of the fresh tomatoes.
My New Year's Eve was a blast since I was able to spend it with my family eating dip, drinking Moscato, and lighting up lots of sparklers.  Happy New Year Everyone!

Vegan 7-Layer Taco Dip
Serves 8
1 ounce taco seasoning mix
16 ounces refried beans
8 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened
12 ounces vegan sour cream
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 ounces sliced black olives
2 cups vegan shredded cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, blend half of the taco seasoning mix and refried beans.  Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.  Mix the sour cream, cream cheese, and the rest of the taco seasoning mix in a medium bowl.  Spread over the refried beans.  Place a layer of tomato, green onions, lettuce over the layers.  Top with cheddar cheese.  Garnish with black olives.