Chili Cheese Dip

Chili Cheese Dip made without any processed cheese!

This Homemade Chili Cheese Dip is LOADED with your favorite chili ingredients, spices and SO irresistibly cheesy with NO Velveeta!  This cheesy chili dip is destined to become a most requested crowd pleasing appetizer perfect for any occasion, especially Game Day! I’ve included how to make Chili Cheese Cheese dip in the crockpot as well as how to freeze and reheat!

Chili Dip

You guys, I have it bad, really bad for this Chili Cheese Dip.  As much as I love dipping and dipping in my Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa and Salsa Verde, this Chili Dip takes dipping to a whole new level of addiction.

And I can’t wait for you to fall in love too.  Every hearty mouthful is a party of textures and TexMex spices all blanketed by creamy real cheese sauce that somehow disappears bite after bite until you have eaten an inappropriate amount of chili dip goodness.  And still want more.  And so will everyone else.

What Ingredients for Chili Cheese Dip?

This Chili Cheese Dip is made with pantry friendly ingredients so you can make it at a moments notice!  The chili dip is loaded with meat, onions, red bell peppers, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. black beans, kidney beans, mild green chilies and salsa, and cheese.

There is no Velveeta in this cheesy chili dip recipe, just golden bubbly, creamy, cheesy cream cheese, Pepper Jack cheese and Sharp Cheddar cheese.  And that’s what I mean by Homemade Cheesy Chili Dip.  And everything is always 1000X better when its homemade.

This Chili Cheese Dip is seasoned with chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper amplified by diced green chiles, salsa, and enchilada sauce for complex flavors you will savor one chip at a time.

 

What cheese is Best?

This Chili Cheese Dip uses:

• cream cheese:  the cream cheese combines with the enchilada sauce to give us the creamy, saucy factor.  It also adds a subtle silky tang.  For best results, use full-fat cream cheese as it is less likely to curdle or separate.  If you can see small pieces of cream cheese but have kept the temperature on low – these are NOT curdled pieces, these are cream cheese pieces that still need to melt.
• sharp cheddar cheese: please use SHARP as opposed to MILD cheddar cheese as we need the sharpness to cut through the hearty beans in the chili dip  Use only freshly grated cheddar cheese as it not only tasted better than pre-packaged but melts far better. Pre-packaged cheeses are coated with anti-clumping chemicals which also prevent them from melting as seamlessly.
• pepper Jack cheese:  is Monterrey Jack cheese flavored with bell peppers,  habañero chilies, jalapeños and garlic.  It adds a dimension of flavor but will not make your chili cheese dip spicy.  If you are in a bind, you can use Monterrey Jack cheese and add additional hot sauce to taste.

How to make Chili Cheese Dip

This Chili Cheese Dip is the ultimate game day food, or party appetizer that is super quick to whip up!

STEP 1:  First we’re going to brown the beef and onions then stir in the seasonings, red bell pepper and flour.  You don’t drain the grease from the meat like you usually do because we are using it in place of butter to create a roux with the flour.

STEP 3:  Stir in kidney beans, black beans, green chilies, salsa, enchilada sauce and 2 cups chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  The cornstarch combined with the flour will thicken the chili dip to its tantalizing, hearty texture as the chili cheese dip simmers.

STEP 4:  Simmer the cheesy chili dip anywhere from 10-15 minutes or until the consistency resembles thick chili.  This will depend on the size of your pot and how high of heat the chili dip is simmering at.  Make sure to stir occasionally so the bottom of the dip doesn’t burn.

STEP 5:  Turn heat to low and stir in cream cheese until melted, followed by pepper jack and cheddar cheese until melted.  Never let the cheese boil or else it will curdle.  If your Chili Cheese Dip is too thick, then you can stir in additional milk to reach desired consistency – or keep adding milk to create a soup.

STEP 6:  EAT!  Serve with tortilla chips and desired toppings.

How To Serve Chili Cheese Dip?

This Chili Cheese Dip can be served plain with tortilla chips or it makes a fantastic chili dip bar!  Line your counter with cheesy chili dip, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, avocados or guacamole, and hot sauce and let everyone dress their own dip – or make cheesy chili dip nachos!

But guess what, this Chili Cheese Dip is not just for dipping – it can also be for spooning!  You can create a chili/soup out of this chili dip by simply stirring in some milk to thin it out – because trust me – you are going to want to slurp this chili dip in every possible way.

So, I suggest you make this today and the next day and then next week so you can get your Cheesy Chili Dip fill (although I don’t think that’s humanly possible) before all those ultra healthy New Year’s resolutions kick in.  As for me, I resolve to never deprive myself of you Chili Cheese Dip.  My love.

Cheesy Chili Dip – the ultimate creamy, cheesy comforting dip that will be love at first bite.

CROCK POT CHILI CHEESE DIP

You might have been wondering if you can make Chili Cheese Dip in the crock-pot instead of the stove and the answer is YES!  The cheesy chili dip won’t be quite as thick but still delicious.  To make Crock Pot Chili Cheese Dip:

1. Follow Step 1, browning your beef and onions together in a frying pan on medium heat.
2. Then add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to your pan.
3. Next, add red bell pepper, garlic and sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
4. Lightly spray your crock pot with a non-stick cooking spray or you can use a crockpot liner (love!)
5. Dump the contents from your pan into your crock pot.
6. Stir in kidney beans, black beans, green chilies, salsa, enchilada sauce and 2 cups chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
7. Cover and cook on high for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until thick, stirring halfway through.
8. While the crock pot is doing its work, you can cube your cream cheese and shred your cheeses.
9. Stir in cream cheese,  pepper jack and cheddar cheese to your crock pot, cover and let cook an additional 1-2 hours on LOW, until completely melted, stirring occasionally.
10. Stir in additional milk to reach desired consistency.
11. Serve with chips or any other desired garnish.

HOW DO I STORE Chili Cream Cheese Dip?

If you are lucky enough to have any Chili Cheese Dip left over, you can refrigerate it. Just allow it to come to room temperature first,  then either place your entire crock pot insert in the refrigerator or transfer to an airtight container. Consume within three days.

HOW DO I REHEAT CHILI DIP?

To reheat your chili cheese dip from the refrigerator, put it in your crock pot and cook on low for about one hour. Stir your chili cheese dip a couple of times throughout the reheating process. If your chili dip feels too thick, add about ¼ cup of milk to thin.

You can also warm your chili cheese dip in a sauce pan on medium heat until it simmers – but do NOT let it boil – stirring throughout. Add milk to thin to desired consistency.

How DO I FREEZE CHILI CHEESE DIP?

Yes, you can freeze your Chili Cheese Dip! This is a great idea if you want to plan and make ahead of time for a party or get together:

1. Allow your cheesy chili dip to cool to room temperature.
2. Pour dip into airtight container or heavy-duty freezer zip bag.
3. Remove excess air from the bag.  For a container, make sure there is enough space at the top for expansion when freezing.
4. Label and store for 3 to 4 months.

HOW DO I REHEAT MY CHILI CHEESE DIP FROM THE FREEZER?

To reheat your chili cheese dip from the freezer, you can use either your slow cooker or the stove:

Crockpot Method:

• Move your chili dip from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
• Lightly spray crock pot with non-stick spray
• Dump contents into crock pot and cook on low for one hour, or until heated through, stirring a couple of times throughout.
• Add milk to thin to desired consistency.

Stove Top Method:

• Move your chili cheese dip to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
• Dump into sauce pot and cook on medium heat until it simmers but does NOT boil.
• Stir throughout reheat, add milk to thin to desired consistency.
• Enjoy!

LOOKING FOR MORE PARTY DIPS?

• Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Homemade Guacamole
• Mexican Spinach Dip
• Toffee Apple Dip
• Key Lime Cheesecake Dip
• Queso Fundido
• Mexican Corn Dip
• Best Bean Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Dip (Stuffed French Bread)

Chili Cheese Dip – the ultimate creamy, cheesy comforting chili dip that will be love at first bite.

Homemade Cheesy Chili Dip OR Soup!

This Homemade Chili Cheese Dip is LOADED with your favorite chili ingredients, spices and SO irresistibly cheesy with NO Velveeta!  This cheesy chili dip is destined to become a most requested crowd pleasing appetizer perfect for any occasion, especially Game Day!

Servings: 12 dip servings

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp EACH salt, chili powder, ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
• 1 cup mild salsa *
• 1 10 oz. can mild enchilada sauce
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (1 ½ cups for crockpot version)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese

Garnish

• tortilla chips
• fresh cilantro
• sour cream
• avocado
• hot sauce to taste

Instructions

Stovetop

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick saucepan. Brown the meat with onions until meat is almost cooked through, then add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Add red bell pepper, garlic and sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
• Stir in kidney beans, black beans, green chilies, salsa, enchilada sauce and 2 cups chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Bring to boil then cover, and reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until the consistency resembles thick chili
• Turn heat to low and stir in cream cheese until melted, followed by pepper jack and cheddar cheese until melted.
• Add milk to thin to desired consistency for either dip or soup.
• Serve with tortilla chips and additional garnishes as desired.

Slow Cooker

• Lightly grease slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray (optional: use a crock pot liner for easy clean up); set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Brown the meat with onions until meat is almost cooked through, then add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Add red bell pepper, garlic and sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
• Stir in all remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours, or until the dip is hot, stirring occasionally.
• Add milk to thin to desired consistency for either dip or soup.
• Serve with tortilla chips and additional garnishes as desired.

Notes

*If you like spicy, then heat it up with some medium salsa! I use medium Kirkland brand salsa from Costco.
**Once prepared, you can keep the dip or soup warm in your slow cooker until ready to serve.
***This makes approximately 12 servings for a dip and 6 servings for a soup.

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