Description
This delicious Rotel Cheese Dip is a creamy, cheesy, and mildly spicy dip perfect for parties or game day. Made with lean ground beef, Rotel tomatoes, salsa verde, and a blend of cream cheese and mild cheddar, it offers a smooth, flavorful dip that’s easy to prepare and serve with tortilla chips.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 10 oz. can MILD Rotel, undrained
- ½ cup mild salsa verde
- 1 ¼ cup milk, plus more as needed
- 8 oz. full fat block cream cheese, cubed and very soft
- 2 cups freshly shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese (NOT SHARP!)
For Serving
- Tortilla chips
- Diced tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Cook Beef: Brown the lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it’s almost cooked through. Add the flour and spices including chili powder, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat for one minute until the beef is fully cooked and spices are fragrant.
- Add Ingredients and Simmer: Stir in the undrained can of mild Rotel, salsa verde, and milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer while scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate flavor. Allow to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend everything smoothly.
- Make it Cheesy: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the softened cream cheese until it has fully melted into the mixture. Then gradually add the shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts completely to form a creamy dip.
- Adjust and Serve: Taste the dip and adjust seasoning with hot sauce or additional cayenne pepper and/or salt as desired. If the dip is too thick, thin it with more milk to reach your preferred consistency. Serve warm with tortilla chips, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and optional hot sauce. For keeping warm, transfer to a crockpot on the warm setting if desired.
Notes
- Use mild Rotel tomatoes undrained for best results; if using spicy Rotel, omit or reduce the cayenne pepper.
- Avoid sharp cheddar as it doesn’t melt smoothly, resulting in a grainy, oily texture.
- Soften cream cheese by cubing and microwaving in short intervals to ensure it blends without lumps.
- This dip serves approximately 10 people, making it ideal for parties and gatherings.
- Keep the dip warm in a crockpot to maintain its creamy texture for serving over time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 recipe
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
