Chili Cheese Dip is an easy 4 ingredient dip made in just minutes on the stove or can be made in the slow cooker! Make this party dip today!
Just like Buffalo Chicken Dip and Beef Rotel Dip, this meaty, cheesy Appetizer will have people scraping the bowl on game day! It’s probably best to double the recipe since this dip will go fast!
Why You’ll Love This Dip?
- Comes together in just a few minutes with a few ingredients that you can keep on hand at all times.
- Can be made on the stove or in the slow cooker.
Sabrina’s Chili Cheese Dip Recipe
You are gonna love this creamy party dip for so many reasons, but most of all because it’s the easiest Chili Cheese dip recipe ever! It comes together in just minutes on the stove top with almost no prep time. If you’ve ever found yourself scrambling and scrolling Pinterest for a last minute appetizer for a crowd, this is the recipe for you. You can make it in a slow cooker, which is a great option for potlucks, or bake it with more cheese on top. I’ve got plenty of delicious Variations ideas at the bottom of this recipe to give you some ideas.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 15 ounces chili con carne , chili without beans
- 10.5 ounces canned tomatoes , with green chiles
- 16 ounces Velveeta cheese , cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons cilantro , finely minced
Instructions
- Add chili to a large skillet on medium heat.
- Add in tomatoes and chiles, stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Add in the Velveeta cheese, stir well and cook until it begins to bubble – about 10 minutes.
- Serve with tortilla chips, garnished with cilantro.
Nutrition
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Note from Sabrina
Velveeta Cheese is great for cheese dips and sauces because it melts creamy and doesn’t separate. Regular shredded cheese can turn stringy as the fat separates from the milk proteins. Thanks to the food science magic of emulsifiers and processing, the milk proteins and milk fats stay together allowing it to blend smoothly when melted with other ingredients.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
The only prep work you need to do is cut up the Velveeta, open some cans, and chop some cilantro for a garnish, but the fresh cilantro is totally optional. Everything gets dumped in the pan and stirred until melty and hot, and then boom, it’s ready to serve. Plus, it’s made from pantry stable ingredients that you can keep on hand year-round. Stock up with some cans of no bean chili, diced tomatoes, and a block or two of Velveeta, and you will have everything you need ready to go. This recipe is so versatile and easy to adjust for your taste or you are feeling creative. Want more texture? Add a can of drained black beans. Prefer a spicy hot chili cheese dip? Add some hot sauce, diced jalapenos, or cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
- Chili con Carne: While you can use any chili you like, I love how beefy chili con carne makes this cheesy dip. Canned chili makes this recipe extra easy and quick versus making chili from scratch the day you want to serve it.
- Velveeta Cheese: Velveeta cheese makes this dip extra creamy and smooth. Since Velveeta was designed to be used as a spread or sauce, it melts easily and quickly. It has a mild, almost buttery cheddar that works so well with the chili.
- Canned Tomatoes: This recipe uses canned tomatoes with green chiles to add some extra flavor and a hint of spice. These are commonly known as Rotel tomatoes, but you can use whatever brand you want and use the spice level your prefer.
Can this be made ahead of time?
You can absolutely make this dip in advance and refrigerate for 1-2 days before serving. Prepare as normal, cool completely, and then store in an airtight container. Reheat on the stove top or in a slow cooker, stirring in milk a tablespoon at a time if it is too thick.
Serving Ideas
- Chip Alternatives: The go-to easiest way to serve this creamy, warm Cheesy Chili Dip is with a bag of your favorite corn chips or tortilla chips. Instead of chips, try crispy dippers like Bagel Thins, Pita Chips, Wheat Thins, or Triscuits. Baguette slices or soft pita bread would be tasty too.
- Veggies: For a low-carb, healthier dipper, you can serve this dip with bell pepper wedges, sweet peppers, celery sticks, carrot stick, or cucumber slices.
- Toppings: Garnish your dip with Pico de Gallo, or serve with a bunch of toppings like sliced black olives, sour cream, green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese for guests to top it how they like.
- Cheese: Cheese on cheese? Yes please! Pour the cooked dip into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese (or other grated cheese) and broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- As a Topping: This isn’t just the perfect appetizer for game day, it’s also a great topping to turn simple favorites into tailgate-worthy dishes. Try it on Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs, hamburgers, Baked Potatoes, tater tots and other dishes you would top with chili and cheese.
How to Store
- Serve: This cheesy dip is best served hot because it thickens as it cools. It can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours, but if you are serving it for more than an hour you’ll probably want to keep it warm in a slow cooker.
- Store: Once cooled, transfer the dip to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Stir well and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top before serving again.
- Freeze: This really isn’t a dish you want to freeze because Velveeta doesn’t have the same texture when it thaws. It’s such an easy and quick dip though, it’s better to just make it the day of and discard any leftovers after 4 days.
Slow Cooker Method
- Making Crockpot Chili Cheese Dip is a great method when you want to double the recipe to feed a big crowd.
- It’s really easy to adapt this recipe for the slow cooker, you use all the same ingredients plus 1 cup milk to keep it creamy over the long cooking time. (Use 2 cups milk if you are doubling the recipe).
- Just put everything in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Frequent Questions
Short answer: No. Velveeta cheese gets a bad rap and the side eye because it’s not technically cheese. However, that doesn’t mean “processed cheese product” is bad. It has the same basic properties found in cheese: milk protein and milk fat. Unlike cheese though, it is made with emulsifiers to give it a creamy texture and preservatives to give it a long shelf life. Emulsifiers and preservatives can be natural or man-made, and they are actually necessary for many common foods, like mayo, creamy salad dressings, yogurt, prepared frosting, etc. So, while it isn’t “real cheese”, Velveeta is just as innocent as many processed foods you enjoy.
If you aren’t a fan of Velveeta cheese, or you just have cream cheese on hand, you can definitely make a swap in this recipe. You’ll want to use 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese and cut it into cubes. Soften the cream cheese before adding it so that it will melt quicker.
The best chili for this dip is one that you like best! Chili Con Carne, or chili without beans, is the old school way to prepare this classic recipe, but you can use chili with beans or even vegetarian chili. You can use your favorite brand, or even leftover homemade chili.
The best way to reheat this creamy Velveeta dip is on the stove top or in a slow cooker on low heat. Stir occasionally until it is heated though and bubbly. If your dip is really thick, add milk or half and half in small amounts, mixing well, until it is the consistency you want.
Variations
- Chili: Instead of canned chili con carne, you can use vegetarian or chili with beans. If you double the recipe, try a can of no bean chili and one with beans so it’s more balanced. You can also substitute 2 cups Classic Beef Chili for 1 can of chili.
- Tomatoes: Instead of the Rotel tomatoes, you can add 1 cup of your favorite chunky Salsa. You could also use regular diced tomatoes if you don’t want green chiles.
- Spicy: Make this chili spicy by adding a can of hot green chiles, canned or fresh diced jalapenos, or hot sauce. Using a spicy canned chili is another easy way to add some heat.
- Meat: If you want this chili to be even meatier, you can add ground beef, pork sausage, or crumbled bacon to the dip. Make sure the meat is fully cooked and drain any grease before adding.
- Spices: Bring out the chili flavor by adding 1 tablespoon chili powder. Try other spices and seasonings like cumin, coriander, Taco Seasoning, or even a squeeze of lime juice.
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Can I make this and then transition to a slow cooker for transporting to another location and then set on warm?
Absolutely Randy. Ensure that your warm setting doesn’t get too hot. And if you want to keep it on warm, make sure to stir every 20-30 minutes so the dip won’t scald on the bottom.