Chili Cheese Dip

With the help of a store-bought chili seasoning mix, and canned tomatoes, Chili Cheese Dip comes together in no time at all! This is a baked dip that’s super cheesy, creamy, and as spicy as you want it to be!

CHILI CHEESE DIP

This is one of those recipes that really shouldn’t be a recipe at all. It’s more of an assembly type recipe. That just means that no skill is needed. Anyone – and I mean anyone! – can make this Chili Cheese Dip. It’s so easy, very budget-friendly, and the taste is phenomenal.

Two years in a row, I’ve made this dip for our Christmas Eve movie marathon. We all love it! It’s hard to find a baked dip that we all agree on. Most of them have some type of meat in them, but this one doesn’t. So, everyone can enjoy this one. And, trust me, Dear Reader, everyone will!

Chili Cheese Dip can be spicy or mild. That all depends on you. We’ll touch on that later. It’s also easy to store the leftovers. I make a huge batch and then just re-heat it later. One can never have too much of this dip!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1. Cream Cheese – The cream cheese in this recipe is very forgiving. You can use full fat, light, or even whipped/spreadable. Just make sure you have a full eight ounces.
2. Sour Cream – Like the cream cheese, any percentage of fat will do. I like to use full fat sour cream. Light sour cream will make the recipe just a bit runnier, which is fine. But, be fair warned.
3. Chili Seasoning Mix – I always use Old El Paso Chili Seasoning Mix for this recipe. We know the flavour well and we all like it. You can use any brand, just find one that has the same amount or as close as you can get.
4. Rotel Tomatoes – The mild diced tomatoes and green chilies is my go-to. It has just the right amount of spice for us. You can use original or hot; it’s your choice.
5. Cheese – You’ll need three cups of cheddar cheese. For the purpose of keeping this recipe quick and easy, use the pre-shredded cheese in the dairy section. I used Black Diamond Double Cheddar.

HOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:

1. Place the cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Use a hand-held mixer to beat until smooth.
2. Add the sour cream and beat until well combined with the cream cheese.
3. Beat in the Old El Paso Chili Seasoning Mix.
4. Drain the canned tomatoes and add them to the cream cheese mixture. Use a spatula to mix through.
5. Add two cups of the cheddar cheese. Mix through.
6. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof baking pan.
7. Top with the remaining cheese.
8. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH YOUR CHILI CHEESE DIP:

Whenever I make this dip, there are three dippers that I have to have with it. First, and probably the most common, is Tostitos. I love to set the dip out with bowls or platters of dippers surrounding it. One of those has to be nacho chips.

Like most things in our family, we all differ greatly on which nacho chips are the best. John.e likes the black bean and garlic type. McKenna loves the plain rounds. I told you she loves simple flavours; nothing too complex. As for me, I prefer the jalapeno or the lime flavours.

Next, there must be triscuits. We always have a few boxes of those in the pantry. Plain or low sodium is the best in my opinion. They are so great paired with this Chili Cheese Dip.

Lastly, I gotta have grilled baguette. I like to slice the baguette thinly and drizzle it with a little bit of olive oil. Sometimes, I brown the slices under the broiler in my oven. But, most times, I use my grill pan or my panini press to get some nice grill marks.

LEFTOVER DIP

In the rare instance that you have any of this dip leftover, don’t fret. Once it’s completely cooled, transfer it to a food-safe container with a tight lid. Pop it in the fridge and that’s it. It will be fine there for 3-5 days.

Once you want to re-heat it, pop it back into an oven-safe dish. Flatten it down slightly with a spatula. I like to add a bit more fresh cheese to the top. Then, I bake it on 350 degrees F again for 20 minutes or so. It’s just as good as it was the day you made it!

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