8-Layered Greek Dip

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This dip is so nice that I made it twice...

within 24 hours of each other...

and ate more than my fair share of it both times...

resulting in a major garlic hangover on both occasions.

And it was soooo worth it.

I am a big fan, big fan, of the 7-layer Tex-Mex dip that everyone knows and loves.  I would guesstimate that I have eaten that dip roughly one million times in my life.  So when I saw the recipe for a 7-layer Greek dip on Pinterest recently, I had to try it.  I traced the recipe on Pinterest back to its original source, Better Homes and Gardens, changed a couple of things around, and added one extra layer for good measure (you're welcome orange and/or yellow bell peppers), for a total of 8 delicious layers of dip.  If you are one of my two regular readers (Hi mom and dad!), you may have noticed that I have been on a bit of a Greek kick lately.

The first night that I made this was as an appetizer for a get-together at our super awesome neighbours' house.  I have to credit my brother for the superb vegetable cutting skills that you see here:

Pretty nice eh?

I doubled the recipe this first night, and the whole thing disappeared (at least half of it in my stomach), with many requests for the recipe.  The next night I brought it as an appetizer to my parents' house for dinner, and again it was a hit.  Both nights I served with pita chips, which I think was the right choice as a scoop.

Let me break this thing down for you:



Layer 1:  Delicious garlicky herby cream cheese layer
Layer 2:  Home-made garlicky hummus
Layer 3:  Cucumber
Layer 4:  Orange or yellow bell pepper
Layer 5:  Tomato
Layer 6:  Kalamata olives (is there any better kind?  I think not)
Layer 7:  Feta cheese
Layer 8:  Green onion

In future I may try replacing the olives with an olive tapenade layer, because I think that would taste ahmaaazing!

Without further ado...you have to try this:

8-Layered Greek Dip

Ingredients
1 - 8 oz. package light cream cheese
1 tsp. Greek seasoning (salt-free)
2 or 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups hummus (Try not to use the store-bought kind if you can help it.  I use this recipe...it's incredibly easy, takes five minutes to make, and is less expensive and much more delicious that the store-bought kind!  )
1/2 Long English cucumber, cut into eight strips length-wise, then sliced cross-wise
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
10 Kalamata olives, pitted and diced
3/4 cup light feta cheese, crumbled
3 green onions, sliced
Pita chips

Directions
In a small bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, Greek seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice until smooth and combined.  Spread cream cheese mixture into a square 9x9 dish (or whatever shape and size of dish suits your fancy).  Spread hummus on top of cream cheese layer.  Top with cucumber, then tomato, then bell pepper, then olives, then feta, then green onions.  Serve with pita chips.

The Hubby's Review:  Really good

Adapted from:  Better Homes and Gardens