Description
This Rotel Cheese Dip is a bold, zesty, and creamy appetizer packed with flavorful spices, mild salsa verde, and Rotel tomatoes and chilies. Made with ground beef, cream cheese, and shredded mild cheddar, it offers a crowd-pleasing, melty, irresistible dip perfect for serving with tortilla chips and garnishes like diced tomatoes and cilantro.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 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)
Cheese and Dairy
- 8 oz. full fat block cream cheese, cubed and very soft
- 2 cups freshly shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese (NOT SHARP!)
- 1 ¼ cup milk (plus more as needed)
Other Ingredients
- 1 10 oz. can MILD Rotel
- ½ cup mild salsa verde
- Tortilla chips
- Diced tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Cook Beef: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is almost cooked through. Add the flour and spices, then continue cooking over medium heat for one minute until the ground beef is fully cooked and the flour is absorbed by the meat.
- Add Ingredients and Simmer: Stir in the can of MILD Rotel with its juices, mild salsa verde, and milk. Bring to a gentle simmer while scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to combine flavors.
- Make it Cheesy: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cubed, softened cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Gradually add the shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring continuously until melted and smooth.
- Adjust and Serve: Taste the dip and adjust seasoning with hot sauce, additional cayenne pepper, or salt as desired. Thin the dip with a little more milk if needed to reach your preferred consistency. Serve warm with tortilla chips, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and extra hot sauce. Optionally, keep the dip warm on the crockpot warm setting for serving.
Notes
- This dip delivers a rich, creamy texture without using any processed cheese, relying on fresh cream cheese and cheddar.
- Use mild or medium cheddar cheese, avoiding sharp cheddar to maintain the intended flavor balance.
- Adjust cayenne pepper and hot sauce to control spiciness according to your preference.
- Keeping the dip warm in a crockpot is ideal for parties or gatherings to maintain melty consistency.
- Scraping the browned bits from the pan adds depth of flavor to the dip.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 batch
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
