More Optional Toppings & Layers

•  Green Chiles (green chilis?) mixed into the beans or salsa would be great!
• Black Olives are another popular choice – I like to buy sliced black olives (ripe olives) in a can. Easy-peasy!
• Diced Bell Pepper is not as popular, but if you have a bunch of bell peppers (like we do from the garden this year), then by all means, layer them on!
• Fresh or Pickled Jalapenos will add some heat and spice to this dish (which I LOVE with Mexican recipes).                    
• Fresh Cilantro Leaves on top are a great way to finish off this appetizer. Adding them on top of the cheese (or green onions) adds more flavor and color to the dish!
• Guacamole is another “dip” that you can add to the layers of refried beans. You could use store-bought or homemade.
• Taco Seasoning mixed into the refried beans or sour cream is another variation I’ve seen often. If you want to skip the ranch seasoning and don’t have taco seasoning, you could add a pinch of each of the following: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. This would be sort-of-kind-of like a homemade taco seasoning.
• Ground Beef adds another layer to the dish and makes it really filling. You could even make a whole meal out of it by serving it with taco shells or tortillas (spoon the dip into the shells or tortillas, roll them up and voila… easy supper!). See the note below!
• Other Proteins – you could also use shredded rotisserie chicken or ground pork or turkey in this recipe. As crazy as it sounds, my Mama always served chopped boiled eggs with tacos growing up, so if you’re daring, you could add those in a layer too for more protein!