I’m a huge fan of nacho dip—cheese, sour cream, toppings….yum! While I love the taste, I sure don’t like the calories. One of the easiest ways to control a major pig-out food is through portion control. Instead of serving a huge bowl, I separate it into individual cups.

To further reduce calories, you can substitute low fat dairy and swap the refried beans for regular ones smashed up. (Confession: I do use regular beans, but I don’t use the lower fat dairy! Do whatever works best for you.)

To make mini layered nacho dips, you will need:

*  8 Glasses

*  1 Can pinto beans—drained and smashed

*  Juice of 1 lime

*  1 Cup guacamole

*  1 Small container sour cream

*  1 Cup chunky salsa

*  1 Cup cheddar cheese

*  4 Scallions, chopped

*  2 Tomatoes, chopped

The ingredients should be layered in this order:

Layer 1  –  Beans

Layer 2  –  Sour Cream

Layer 3 –  Guacamole

Layer 4 –  Tomatoes mixed with salsa and lime juice

Layer 5  –  Cheese

Layer 6  –  Scallions

Some folks like an additional 7th layer of black olives. I didn’t have any on hand, so I skipped them. I don’t think it’s a necessary ingredient. I do sprinkle a little extra cheese on top of the scallions, but it’s not a full layer.

Store mini layered nacho dips in the fridge, covered, for up to 6 hours, or serve right away. I always include a separate bowl of tortilla chips for dunking.

These are the perfect finger food for TV marathons and work very well for parties, too. If you’re serving these to a big crowd, especially a crowd of children, I’d use plastic cups instead of glass.