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Chili Cheese Dip Layered with Cream Cheese

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.

red baking dish of chili cheese dip

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
chili cheese dip in a red baking dish and basket of chips

FAQs

Can you make ahead of time?

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.

Can you use canned chili or a different chili recipe for this dip?

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.

red baking dish of cheesy dip topped with tomatoes and jalapenos

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

layer one of dip in baking dish

Top with chili

layer 2 of dip in baking dish

Bake until hot

Add cheese and melt

layer 3 of dip in baking dish

Remove from oven and serve.

blue and white tortilla chip dipped into chili cheese dip
red baking dish of dip with green and white napkin

Chili Cheese Dip

Darlene Kratz
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.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 254 kcal

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.

Notes

Feel free to substitute your favorite chili recipe to use in this dip.

Nutrition

Calories: 254kcal
Keyword chili cheese dip, layered chili dip
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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