Description

This Rotel Cheese Dip is a bold, zesty, and creamy appetizer perfect for any gathering. Made with lean ground beef, a blend of spices, Rotel tomatoes and chilies, salsa verde, cream cheese, and shredded cheddar, it delivers rich flavors without processed cheese. Serve warm with tortilla chips and garnishes like diced tomatoes, cilantro, and hot sauce for a crowd-pleasing, irresistible dip.

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
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

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Instructions

Cook Beef: Brown the lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it’s almost fully cooked. Then add the flour and all the spices—chili powder, salt, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper—and cook over medium heat for one more minute to fully cook the beef and bloom the spices.
Add Ingredients and Simmer: Stir in the mild Rotel with its juices, the mild salsa verde, and the milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer while scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan for deeper flavor. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make it Cheesy: Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the cubed, very soft cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Gradually add the shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, stirring continuously until completely melted and smooth.
Adjust and Serve: Taste the dip and adjust seasoning with hot sauce or extra cayenne pepper and/or salt if desired. If the dip is too thick, thin it out by stirring in additional milk to reach your preferred consistency. Serve warm with tortilla chips and garnish with diced tomatoes, cilantro, and extra hot sauce as desired. For best results, keep the dip warm on a crockpot warm setting during serving.

Notes

This dip is bursting with zesty flavor from the blend of spices, salsa verde, and Rotel tomatoes and chilies, making it a standout appetizer.
Using fresh cheeses like block cream cheese and freshly shredded cheddar instead of processed cheese delivers a richer, creamier texture and better flavor.
Mild or medium cheddar works best—avoid sharp cheddar as it can overpower the blend of flavors.
Adjust the heat level by varying the cayenne pepper and hot sauce according to your taste preferences.
Keep the dip warm in a crockpot on the warm setting for easy serving at parties or gatherings.
You can thin out the dip by adding more milk if it thickens too much while warming.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/10 of recipe
Calories: 320 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 600 mg
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 11 g
Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
Trans Fat: 0.2 g
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 20 g
Cholesterol: 70 mg