Best Spicy Sausage Rotel Queso Cheese Dip
Best Spicy Sausage Rotel Queso Cheese Dip is a delicious upgrade to the boring easy 3-ingredient dip recipe that almost everyone serves on their party food table. With a few more simple ingredients, 1 secret spice, and a large skillet, this cheesy Rotel dip will become your favorite game day dip.
This crowd favorite is always the hit of the party especially on big game days like Super Bowl Sunday. Great dip like this will make you want to lick the bowl after the tortilla chips are gone!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Cheesy Sausage Dip
- Versatility: It’s incredibly versatile and can be served as a dip alongside tortilla chips or corn chips. Used as a quick nacho sauce or as a topping for tacos or baked potatoes. You can even make a delicious macaroni and cheese with it.
- Simple to Make: This easy recipe in a one-pot or skillet dish, cleaning up is a breeze after a long football game.
- Customizable: You can adjust the level of spice by using mild, medium, or hot varieties of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies and adding more or less seasonings to satisfy your taste buds.
- Comfort Food: Rotel Cheese Dip is one of America’s favorite dip recipes which is comforting knowing you’ll have a hit on your appetizer table.
What You’ll Need for Sausage Rotel Cheese Dip
- Meat: ground pork sausage, hot or mild, ground beef, or a combination of both. You could also use ground turkey sausage, chicken sausage, or cut-up rotisserie chicken. Make it a spicy cheese vegetable dip and add more veggies.
- Onion and Garlic: Onions, any kind of fresh chopped onions will work. White onion, sweet yellow onion, red onion, or a bunch of green onion. It does not matter. I used 2 large cloves minced but you can use more or less depending on your taste buds.
- Peppers: Jalapenos, Serranos, or green chilis. Jalapenos and serrano peppers are much hotter than green chilies, especially canned green chilis. This recipe calls for 1 or 2 deseeded and finely chopped jalapenos.
- Spicy canned tomatoes with onions and green chiles: a can of Rotel tomatoes comes in a lot of varieties. Don’t be afraid to try all the flavor combinations.
- Seasoning: Chili powder, cumin, Cajun seasoning, and cinnamon. I swear cinnamon is so good in this party dip. You could also substitute the seasonings with a packet of taco seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Cheese: Velveeta cheese, Blanco (white) or traditional American yellow. You can also substitute Velveeta with a block of American Cheese or a combination of cheddar cheese and cream cheese.
- Dairy: This spicy dip calls for canned, evaporated condensed milk (unsweet) but you can use whole milk or 2%. Milk makes this flavorful creamy dip even creamier and helps the dip come together. Note: Reserve the leftover condensed milk to thin the dip out when reheating.
- 1 pound roll of hot spicy ground pork sausage
- 2 pounds Velveeta White Queso cheese cubed
- 1/2 whole onion chopped
- 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, large chopped, with or without seeds, more or less to spice level
- 3 garlic cloves smashed and minced
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilis brand of chopped up tomatoes and peppers undrained
- 1/3 roasted red peppers (in a jar) optional, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp chili powder or to taste
- 2 tsp cumin or to taste
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon or to taste
- 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning or to taste
- 1/2 cup of evaporated condensed milk (unsweet) or regular 2% milk
- Top with snipped cilantro or parsley
How to Make Spicy Sausage Rotel Queso Cheese Dip
- Step 1: Cut up the onions, peppers, and garlic. Set aside.
- Step 2: Brown sausage over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven until the edges start to turn brown. Add the chopped veggies to the sausage and continue to stir fry the mixture is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft.. Note: If there is a lot of liquid fat from the meat, drain excess grease at this point. Ground beef especially 80/20 ground beef will produce a lot of fat. Return the meat-veggie mixture to the skillet.
- Step 3: Sprinkle the seasonings, except cinnamon, on the top of the mixture and stir well until the seasonings are coating the meat-veggie mixture.
- Step 4: Add the Rotel, including the liquid, and stir.
- Step 5: Cube the cheese into chunks and set on top of the mixture. Add the condensed milk. Stir until the cheese is melted. Note: you can turn the burner to medium-low and cover to melt the cheese.
- Step 6: Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon on top of the queso Rotel dip and stir. Cover and let slowly simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir a few times while it is simmering.
- Step 7: Taste for seasoning adjustments. Note: The cinnamon mellows some of the heat. Add a little more if the dip is too spicy hot.
- Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or pita chips.
Slow Cooker Option
The great thing about this hot sausage dip is you can easily cook it in a crockpot.
Crock pot method:
- Follow the first three steps in the recipe above.
- Place the seasoned meat mixture, Rotel tomatoes and peppers (drain the liquid from the canned tomatoes), cubed cheese, and condensed milk into the crock pot. Stir until well mixed.
- Cook on the low setting for two hours. Stir occasionally during this time.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and taste for seasoning adjustments.
- Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or pita chips.
Velveeta Rotel Sausage Dip Variations
Ground sausage substitutes:
- Italian sausage
- ground beef
- ground turkey
- can of black beans, pinto beans, chili beans
- Make it meat-free by adding chopped celery, spinach, or broccoli.
- Add an extra little kick by adding a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.
Serve with:
- Sausage Balls
- Tortilla Chips
- Corn Chips
- Pork Rinds (low carb)
- Cut up veggies
- Bagel Chips
Top these with Rotel Cheese Dip
- Drip Beef Sandwiches
- Avocado Toast
- Crunchy Air Fryer Beef Burritos
- Tacos
- Baked Chicken
- Sandwiches
- Eggs
- Nachos
FAQ
Q. Can you freeze this cheesy dip?
A. Yes, you can freeze Rotel cheese dip, but the cheese may become slightly grainy or separate due to changes in texture. Freeze it in an airtight container and freezer-safe container. This helps prevent freezer burn and preserves the flavor. Use within a couple of months. Note: The taste and texture will not be exactly the same as freshly made Spicy Sausage Rotel Queso Cheese Dip.
Q. How do you reheat Rotel dip after freezing?
A. Let the Rotel cheese dip thaw overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to reheat, place the dip in a saucepan and slowly warm on top of the stove over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. To make it smooth, add a little milk as needed while heating for a creamy consistency. You can also reheat this dip on low heat in a crock pot.
Q. Is Rotel cheese dip low-carb and gluten-free?
A. Yes, this recipe is both. However, it’s if you add beans or serve it with chips and crackers then it will be neither low-carb nor gluten-free.
How To Store This Creamy Sausage Dip
Leftover Rotel cheese dip can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love
Sausage Balls…Yes! Yes! Yes! dipped in Spicy Rotel
Light and Creamy White Cauliflower Queso Dip
Italian Queso for a different take on traditional!
Spicy Jalapeno Chipolte Dip/Dressing…this is great on the Spicy Rotel Dip, seriously!
Curry Dill Deviled Eggs…I’m partial but I think these are the best.
Spicy Sausage Rotel Queso Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound Hot Italian Sausage
- 1/2 whole onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno, large chopped, with or without seeds
- 3 garlic cloves smashed and minced
- 1 can Rotel or and brand of chopped up tomatoes and peppers undrained
- 1 tbsp chili powder or to taste
- 2 tsp cumin or to taste
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon or to taste
- 1/2 cup condensened milk whole milk or 2% can be sustituted
- 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning or to taste
- 2 pounds Velveeta White Queso cheese cubed
Instructions
- Cut up the onions, peppers, and garlic. Set aside.
- Brown sausage over medium heat until the edges start to turn brown. Add the chopped veggies to the sausage and continue to stir fry the mixture is not longer pink and the vegetables are soft.. Note: If there is a lot of liquid fat from the meat, drain excess grease at this point. Ground beef especially 80/20 ground beef will produce a lot of fat. Return the meat-veggie mixture to the skillet.1 pound Hot Italian Sausage, 1/2 whole onion, 1 jalapeno, large, 3 garlic cloves
- Sprinkle the seasonings, except cinnamon, on the top of the mixture and stir well until the seasonings are coating the meat-veggie mixture.1 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
- Add the Rotel, including the liquid, and stir.1 can Rotel or and brand of chopped up tomatoes and peppers
- Cube the cheese in chunks and set on top of the mixture. Add the condensed milk. Stir until the cheese is melted. Note: you can turn the burner to medium-low and cover to melt the cheese.2 pounds Velveeta White Queso cheese, 1/2 cup condensened milk
- Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon on top of the queso Rotel dip and stir. Cover and let slowly simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir a few times while it is simmering.1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Check for seasoning adjustments. Note: The cinnamon mellows some of the heat. Add a little more if the dip is to spicy hot.
- Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or pita chips.