Cheesy, baked dip layered with cream cheese, chili and melted cheddar cheese. This chili cheese dip is the perfect appetizer for game day, a potluck or party.
My husband and I chowed down on this dip for our “pre-game” before the playoffs last week. We couldn’t wait to take it out of the oven. There’s just something about football and a warm, cheesy dip.
Here are some other great hot dip ideas for the big game:
Tips and Tricks
The toppings:
Get creative with what you add to garnish this tip. I used chopped tomatoes, jalapeno slices and scallions for a nice pop of color.
Other great toppings include:
- Chopped avocado
- Diced onions
- Salsa
- Hot sauce
- Sour cream
- Cilantro or parsley
The Chili:
For a leaner version, you could use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
You could also use your favorite vegetarian chili for a meatless version of this dip.
What goes with chili cheese dip?
- Frito chips (because who doesn’t love Fritos and chili?)
- Tortilla chips
- Veggies such as small snacking peppers
- French fries
FAQs
Yes, there are a few ways you could do this.
You can make the chili ahead of time and then it just takes a few minutes to make the cream cheese layer and assemble the rest of the dip.
You could also put together the complete dip minus the cheese and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.
If you end up with leftovers, those re-heat well too in the oven or microwave.
Yes, if you wanted to sub in canned chili for an extra easy version of this dip then feel free. You could also use your favorite chili recipe for this especially if you have leftover chili. Around 2 to 2 and 1/2 cups of chili is a good amount to use, but it doesn’t have to be exact.
Just keep in mind, you probably want a thicker chili vs one that is more soupy. I didn’t use beans in mine, but you could also certainly use a chili with beans as well.
Instructions
For the chili:
Sautee onions, pepper and garlic
Brown ground beef and drain
Add tomatoes, sauce and seasonings
Simmer
For the layered dip:
Mix together cream cheese, sour cream and chili powder
Add to baking dish
Top with chili
Bake until hot
Add cheese and melt
Remove from oven and serve.
Chili Cheese Dip
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 14.5 oz chopped tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
Dip
- 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- prepared chili
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
Chili
- Add olive oil, onions, garlic and jalapeno to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat for a 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned. Break meat apart into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
- Add remaining ingredients for the chili and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Dip
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Using a mixer on medium speed, combine together the cream cheese, sour cream and chili powder in a bowl.
- Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of a deep dish pie plate or baking dish.
- Add chili into a layer over the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.
- Top with cheddar cheese and place back in the oven until cheese is melted.
