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This recipe was wonderful! Had a Super Bowl party with family and they all gave me two thumbs up for this one. Thank you!!!
Ronald
Waell, looks like we’re going to have to stuff our faces with favorite game day foods two posts in a row. Hmm. Darn.
When it comes to party food game food snack food etc, I have a deep and borderline inappropriate love for cheesy dips bubbling away inside of little mini Crockpots. And my ultimate weakness is almost always some variation of a Chili Cheese Dip which I regret to say is almost always is made with V to the elveeta. Just one question: WHY? Why have I never even thought to just make my own YUMMIER real cheese sauce?
So enter Homemade Cheesy Chili Dip: it starts with a made-from-scratch super quick chili with spicy sausage and black beans that is so deliciously Tex-Mex flavored because I must have all the spice in my mouth right now, and it’s stirred all up to the happy place of dip land with a creamy *real food* cheese sauce involving butter, flour, milk, and cheese AS CHEESE SAUCE SHOULD. It’s like spicy, mouth-hugging chili meets comforting, soul-melting cheese fondue. Grab a handful of chips (sweet potato chips! that’s a thing! Costco!) because things about to get crazy with the cheesy chili dip in the most homemade, real food, made-from-scratch way possible.
I had actually not really wanted to post this recipe today (too much game food all at once = annoying) but I’ve been really trying to make some awesome desserty-type things this week and the bottom line is that they have not been awesome and therefore they cannot be posted today. Sorry not sorry – you reeeeally would not be loving my dessert my recipes this week.
For example. I worked on at least 25 variations of a homemade pumpkin spice latte, and then I liked it but I didn’t love love LOVE it because you can never get the gritty part of the pumpkin to go away and it drives me bazonkers – seriously, how do you do it? and then everyone else in the world posted a recipe for it, so I stopped with the PSLs and everyone round these parts just breathed a sigh of relief. There have been, um, let me count – 183 batches of sugar-friendly healthier chocolate oat bars that have come and gone through the kitchen this week, all of which have basically been reminiscent of horse food. I don’t even know what horse food is except that I’m 99% sure that these bars are it. I feel like a horse chewing on whole grains from the field when I try to eat them and it’s SO not okay.
All that to say: sometimes food bloggers *points to self* cannot get their act together enough to mix up the recipes and you end up with two game day snack recipes in a row.
So, uh…. are you mad at me?
Wanna eat chips and cheesy chili dip with me as a peace offering?
I knew you would. ā¤
Unlike my many attempts at the dessertier things in life lately, this homemade cheesy chili dip is a little something that I whipped up on a whim last Sunday when my in-laws were coming over to watch football with Bjork. Here’s the kicker (get it? football? ki– yeah, I’m clever like that) – I wasn’t even home during the game to go completely hog wild on this dip. I honestly just take my role as Chief Snack Maker so seriously that even if I know I’m not going to be sitting down and watching the game gorging on potato skins and cheesy chili dip, I still feel that it is my duty as ultimate food lover to make sure that the football game experience is completed with the most deliciously cheesy, flavor-loaded, rock-your-mouth-off snacks.
We didn’t know that his family was coming over until after I had gone grocery shopping, so my on-the-spot food brain scanned the kitchen and landed on a few staples: salsa, sausage, black beans, taco seasoning, cheese, milk, chips. And just like that, without any trip to the grocery store (my life loves when that happens), my favorite dip of all time was re-invented in the most REAL FOOD way. No need for Velvy up in this mini Crockpot. Homemade cheesy chili dip all the way.
It was seriously so good, so spicy and warm in that mouth-sizzle way with the creaminess of the cheese sauce to mellow it out and make you feel all college food and stuff. I made it again the very next day because why NOT keep a mini crockpot of cheesy chili dip in your fridge at all times? Bjork would eat bowls of this stuff like it was actual chili, like with a full blown spoon, and I would laugh at him because babe! it’s a DIP, not a bowl of chili. I probably shouldn’t tell you that, though. Forget it right now.
I’ll keep working on making those healthier desserts, and you keep working on loading up on this homemade cheesy chili dip with a handful of your fave chippers. Deal?
Deal.
Homemade Cheesy Chili Dip
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: makes about 6 cups – about 12 half cup servings 1x
Description
This Homemade Cheesy Chili Dip is made without the processed cheese! Just homemade spicy chili and creamy cheese sauce. Deeeelish!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground pork sausage
- 1 heaping tablespoon taco seasoning*
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups salsa
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- fresh cilantro and/or green onions
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the sausage until golden brown and crumbled into small pieces. Drain off excess oil. Add the taco seasoning, cayenne, black beans, salsa, and water if it seems like it needs a little more liquid (this will depend on what kind of salsa you use). The consistency should be like a very thick chili.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir to form a paste. Slowly stream the milk in a little bit at a time, whisking a little bit after each addition. The sauce should thicken up gradually – continue to whisk in the liquid in small amounts and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to stick to the back of the spoon. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add the cheese sauce to the chili in the skillet from step one. Mix until well combined – stir in cilantro or green onions to taste.
- Transfer to a mini slow cooker (perfect for parties!) or a serving dish. Or just keep it on the stove so it stays warm. This can also be made a day or two in advance – the flavors just keep on getting better. š
Notes
*I used a taco seasoning from a local spice shop (Penzey’s) and I’ve also used this taco spice mix in the past and loved it as well! Nothing funky – just good spicy taco flavor.
I also used a fresh store-bought salsa (Sabra brand) and it was really good – I think it would be fine with jarred salsa, but if you can get fresh, go for it!
If you find that the consistency is too runny, make a little extra of the cheese base (flour, milk, butter, cheese) and stir it in to the dip. It also thickens up as it cools, so don’t keep it SUPER hot – just warm.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dip
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
Keywords: cheese chili dip, chili dip, homemade chili dip
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of best dip recipes. Check it out!
This cheesy chili dip looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it for my next game night. Thanks for sharing such a simple yet tasty recipe!
This cheesy chili dip looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try making it for our next game night. Thanks for sharing such a tasty recipe!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I am only 13 years old and it was so easy to make. It is a hit with my family, and we plan on making it again in the future. I would recommend to double the recipe if you are having company over, it will make a more suitable amount.
Hi there, you should really consider removing the ads on your site or at least moving them because I am currently trying to make this recipe and there is one on the left hand side that will not go away so I cannot see the recipe/steps. I can only see a tiny portion at a time so I keep having to scroll and it’s really a pain. If I hadn’t already purchased the ingredients, I for sure would be closing out and chocking this one up as a loss.
I know it can be hard to know what it looks like on the user end, so I hope this is helpful!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Mary-Katherine. I will definitely share your feedback with the team!
Just made this recipe for Super Bowl. Made exactly as the recipe reads, and 100% loved it!!! My husband says this needs to go on our party foods rotation.
This is the most delicious Dip I have ever made. Smooth creamy! This was a big hit at the last party!
I forgot the 5 Stars!!
Had the chili cheese dip while drinking wine and making Halloween wreath. Delicious!
Hi fellow Lindsay! š I randomly bumped into this recipe and made it yesterday and heavens this is GOOD. I tried to make it a little healthier (as far as you can speak of healthy when you’re throwing a cup of cheese into a pan…) by adding a can of corn and two bell peppers (one red, one green, finely chopped) into the mix. Turned out really well!
One question though – what kind of cheese do you like to use for this?
Making this for the Super Bowl tonight! Have leftover chili from this frigid week and looking for a non-Velveeta dip. I just can’t with that stuff. What is it anyway? Nevermind, some things are better just not known lol. Thanks for this REAL CHEESE dip recipe! I’ll letcha know how it goes :0)
Love this recipe! My friends ask me to bring this to all our parties!
Hi!!! Totes making this for our work Xmas party! Wondering what kind of cheese you used? Xo
Hi,
Would the cooking time change if I were to not use meat and just up the amount of beans? Love your recipes!
Nope! Since the meat is cooked beforehand anyway, it doesn’t really change the cook time. š
What kind of shredded cheese did you use for this?
We don’t remember, but a Mexican blend or mild cheddar would work well!
What type cheese did you use?
With these wonderful pictures made me very hungry. Fridge is pretty empty so I indulge reading your famous recipes. Maybe someday I can also make dishes like MasterChef
It looks so tasty, I can’t wait to try it! Can someone make this for me? š
do you think corn would be good in this. I don’t know why but corn sounds good to me. Making tomorrow for the kids snack. Yummy
Corn would be a great addition! It fits in with the “mexican” flavors here. Enjoy, Misty!
Made this tonight for some friends and it was a HIT! Delicious! I used ground turkey instead of pork and it turned out great.
Thanks for the comment – I’m so glad to hear that you liked it Praveena!
This recipe was wonderful! Had a Super Bowl party with family and they all gave me two thumbs up for this one. Thank you!!!
Makes me smile. š Glad to hear it Ronald!
Made this last night for a group of about 15 people. It was a great hit and we took leftovers to a birthday party today and they all loved it as well. Since there was a large group, I doubled the recipe, but it turned out to be a LOT. One batch would have been plenty. Very good recipe though! Thanks!!!
Made this with and without meat, both were yummy! And loved the tip about using the Sabra brand salsa – SO good!
Thanks for the comment – I’m so glad to hear that you liked it Crystal!
I’ve done both too but will go without the meat on this snow day – or else I’ll have downed a pound of beef without realizing it. Yikes! I’m out of black beans though and am debating using channeling or red kidney beans.
Hello! I love your website and all of your recipes š do you have any hints or tips for the cheese sauce? The first attempt I tried the sauce wasn’t thick enough! Thank you so much!!
I would just reduce the amount of liquid or… dare I say… add more cheese? š
About the PSL, could you make a pumpkin simple syrup? Maybe strain it if it’s lumpy or gritty? I’m not a huge pumpkin spice fan anyway (gasp!), so I have never really tried to make my own at home. Now, caramel latte? Yes!! This dip looks amazing! I am so making it for a football party we are going to this weekend. I love having whole food alternatives for junk food. Last week, I made healthy-ish jalapeno poppers and they were a hit!
Hi! I came across this recipe, and it looks delicious! I would like to make it a day before an event, but in order to do this, do you make the entire recipe and refrigerate it or only do the meat, seasoning, beans and then the day of do the cheese sauce? Also, what types of chips would you recommend?
I think the whole thing holds up pretty well in the fridge. Chips – I like the restaurant style ones from Tostitos. I also adore Hint of Lime. Also blue corn. I am a chip addict.
I am going to make this for a girls night tonight, but I was curious I’d ground turkey would be ok to use instead of sausage and also what type of cheese did you use?
Thank you š
Yes to the turkey! And I used shredded Chihuahua cheese – they sell massive bags of it at Costco so I just buy one and use it in just about everything for a few weeks. š
Is that the only cheese you used? R droid asking what kind of cheese, you failed to mention it in the recipe. Please revise so we will al know.
Hi, Jeanine! The type of cheese depends on what you like. š We would suggest cheddar (mild or sharp), pepperjack, or a Mexican blend. Enjoy!