This Rotel Dip recipe is smooth, creamy, and just a little bit spicy! Made with chunks of meat, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and two kinds of cheese, this delicious and popular warm dip appetizer is an easy to make slow cooker or stove top recipe that’s perfect for any game day or special occasion!
Need more easy appetizer recipes? These Sausage Cheese Balls, these Crockpot Little Smokies and this Cranberry Meatballs are all so delicious too
Table of contents
Rotel Cheese Dip
I’ve been making this slow cooker Rotel dip for as long as I can remember. It’s one of the best if you love a really good cheesy dip with a little heat! With just a few simple ingredients like ground beef and sausage, Velveeta cheese, cream cheese, and of course, Rotel, dumped right into the crockpot, this recipe is virtually effortless.
It’s an easy appetizer that is perfect for serving game-day crowds, holiday parties, and even potlucks! It stays warm in the slow cooker so the beauty of it is that everyone can grab a plate with some crackers, fresh veggies, or some tortilla chips and serve themselves!
What is Rotel?
Rotel is a well-known brand of a canned combination of diced tomatoes with green chili and some spices. You can get it mild or you can get it spicy, so for this recipe, you get to choose! It’s almost like salsa but the flavor of the diced tomatoes is more pronounced.
Substitute for Rotel?
You could use actual salsa for sure, however, you’ll have to rename it to salsa dip 😉 The flavor also won’t be quite the same, but oh well, it’ll still be all kinds of delicious!
Ingredients/shopping list
Ground beef – You’re going to be draining any of the excess oil from the meat, so use whatever kind you want. Lean, medium, it’s up to you.
Pork sausage – The combination of pork and ground beef just adds a ton of meaty chunky texture and so much more flavor. You can just use one meat if you prefer.
Velveeta – A processed cheese that comes in an orange block. It melts extremely velvety (get it?) and smooth. If you’ve ever had queso dip, you’ve probably had velveeta!
Cream cheese – This will add a rich, thick, tangy element. It balances the Velveeta cheese nicely.
Rotel – You’ll just need a can of Rotel. Although it’s called Rotel dip, it really isn’t the star of the show. Everything plays a role, the cheese, the meat, and the Rotel work together as one!
Chili powder – A robust smoky seasoning that deepens the flavor and adds a little extra heat.
Salt & pepper – To taste!
How to Make this Velveeta Cheese Dip with Meat
Easily double or triple this recipe. Just dump, set, and walk away!
Step 1: Cook the ground beef and sausage in a medium skillet on medium high heat along with the chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: Once it is completely cooked and no longer pink, drain the excess grease by pouring the browned ground beef over a colander into a bowl. Discard the oil into the trash once it has completely cooled.
Step 3: To the slow cooker adds the cooked meat to the bottom and spread it out. Place both cheese cubes on top of the meat, then add the tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. Remove the lid, give it a good stir and enjoy! If serving at a party, keep the slow cooker on the warm setting.
How to make this Rotel Dip on the Stovetop
Grab a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Brown and cook the meat along with the seasonings. Drain the grease.
This time, you’re going to add the meat back into the skillet, followed by the Rotel, and cheese cubes.
Heat on medium-low heat, stirring until everything has melted.
Variations/Substitutions
- Different meat. Use one pound of all ground beef or all sausage if preferred. You could also use spicy sausage, Italian sausage, chorizo, andouille sausage or even ground chicken or ground turkey.
- For a vegetarian Rotel dip. Skip the meat altogether like this delicious poblano queso dip or toss in some black beans or pinto beans instead.
- Use all Velveeta instead of the cream cheese portion, if preferred. You could also decide to replace the cream cheese with a yummy sharp cheddar cheese or even pepper jack cheese.
- Switch up the seasoning. Use taco seasoning, smoked paprika, or cayenne pepper instead of chili powder.
Tips
- Top with sliced jalapeno peppers if desired.
- If the dip gets too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
- Serve with tortilla chips, soft homemade pretzels, crusty bread, cheese crackers, or a fresh veggie platter.
FAQ’s
As long as it’s covered in the fridge, any leftover dip can be kept for up to 4-5 days.
Toss it back in the slow cooker and allow it to warm up on the low setting or warm setting before serving. Or place in a microwave safe bowl and heat at 20 second intervals, stirring until desired temperature is reached.
Yes! If you’ve got leftovers or you’ve doubled your batch for this very reason, go ahead and keep it stored in the freezer. Transfer it to a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag or keep it in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat as desired.
I don’t know about you, but I love pouring any kind of cheese sauce over my nachos! Movie night just got a lot more fun 🙂 Some people like it on their hotdogs, or a dollop into their bowl of chili.
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Rotel Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork sausage
- 1 pound Velveeta
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 10 ounce can Rotel
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- Chips and/or veggies for dipping
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, add the ground beef sausage, chili powder, salt and pepper and brown until completely cooked.
- Pour cooked meat into a colander and drain excess oil. (I like to drain it over a bowl to collect the oil and then let it cool and pour into the trash can)
- Add the meat to the bottom of a slow cooker
- Place the Velveeta and cream cheese cubes on top of the meat mixture.
- Add in the tomatoes and stir to combine well.
- Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.
- Stir and serve warm with chips and veggies.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Hilda
Show me the recipe
Ethel
Looks delicious