Addictive Sausage Cream Cheese Dip with just a hint of heat! This 3-ingredient appetizer is the show-stopping food great parties are made of!
Look no further because this savory Sausage Cream Cheese Dip is the best game day recipe ever! Three incredible ingredients (sausage, cream cheese, & Rotel) meld together into a meaty, creamy, can’t-stop-eating-it queso you serve with scoop chips!
Why Rotel is Perfect for Sausage Dip
Rotel has been around for more than 80 years! The classic Rotel Dip recipe with Velveeta cheese has to be one of the most popular recipes to come out of Texas!
But what is that stuff called Rotel? Well, it’s not quite salsa and not quite picante sauce. It’s a blend of diced tomatoes and green chili peppers that is the PERFECT one-can ingredient for many recipes!
Perk: Rotel comes in original, mild, hot, and fire-roasted, so you have several options to decrease or increase the spice level of your Sausage Cream Cheese Dip!
Other Recipes to Serve with Rotel Sausage Dip
- If you love Rotel, try this delicious Crock Pot King Ranch Chicken Soup – a hearty, Texas-original, whole meal in a bowl!
- Taco Spaghetti is another tasty Tex-Mex dinner recipe your entire family will beg you to make on repeat!
Ingredients
Sausage: One pound of pork breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean, Bob Evans, or Tennessee Pride) is ideal for this recipe! Chicken, turkey, beef, or even Italian sausage can all be substituted if you prefer.
Veggies: A can of original Rotel brings all the diced tomato and green chile flavor to this fantastic dip!
Cheese: One block of cream cheese, cut into cubes, melts beautifully into the sausage and gives all the creamy texture a warm, hearty dip deserves!
Chips: Chips for dipping! The “scoop” kind holds just the right amount for creamy, crunchy, mouthwatering bites!
How to Make Sausage Cream Cheese Dip
STEP ONE: Drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet over medium. Add the sausage to the heated skillet and cook until completely browned. Drain the excess grease and return the meat to the skillet, reducing the heat to medium-low.
STEP TWO: Add 1-inch cubes of cream cheese and the entire can of Rotel (do not drain) to the skillet. Stir continually until everything is melted and is evenly combined.
STEP THREE: Top the dip with diced tomatoes and green chiles before serving warm with chips.
Tips for Success
- Increase or decrease the spice level by choosing the style of Rotel you buy. The original is spicier than mild.
- In every crowd, there’s one who doesn’t like “chunks” of veggies in their food – if this describes someone you know, puree the Rotel before adding it to the mix.
- If you need to reduce the spice level further, add a bit of ketchup or tomato paste.
- Make this dip go further by tossing in some black beans and corn (if you use canned, drain them first).
- This recipe is SO easy to double. No special tips here, just 2 of everything!
Can I Make Sausage Cheese Dip in a Crock Pot?
Absolutely! It’s a great option to keep the dip warm for an extended period (like through an entire football game, including the Super Bowl commercials!) The only rule for this dip is to cook and drain the sausage before you add it to the slow cooker. You want a thick, creamy dip, not a greasy one.
Is Sausage Rotel Dip Gluten-Free?
Generally, yes! Watch the sausage ingredients; some brands may contain flour-based fillers like bread crumbs. But, assuming your sausage is gluten-free, the cream cheese and Rotel dip are naturally gluten-free so that everyone can enjoy this gluten-friendly, Keto-friendly, low-carb recipe!
Other Meaty, Manly, Marvelous Dip Recipes!
- Crock Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
- White Pizza Dip
- Layered Nacho Dip
- Jalapeno Crab Dip
- BBQ Chicken Dip
*This post was originally posted on 01/20/2018.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 14.5 ounce Rotel
- 16 ounces cream cheese cut into pieces
- Tomatoes diced, for garnish
- Canned diced green chiles for garnish
- Chips for serving
Instructions
- Drizzle the olive oil into a medium-sized skillet and place over medium heat.
- Once the skillet is heated, add the sausage. Cook until browned, breaking apart the meat as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease and return to the stovetop, lowering the heat to medium-low.
- Add the cream cheese cubes and Rotel (don't drain). Stir frequently until the cream cheese is completely melted and the dip is evenly combined.
- Top with diced tomatoes and green chiles before serving warm with your favorite dipping chips.
Chandra says
We love spice so I tried this recipe with Owens spicy sausage and hot rotel. The family loved it!
Cheryl Becker says
Is the sausage used in this it Italian Sausage or breakfast sausage?
Is the sausage used in this it Italian Sausage or breakfast sausage?
Ethel says
Can this be froze
Real Housemoms JK says
Hello Ethel! Are you wanting to freeze it after its all been cooked/warmed up together? The cream cheese might chance consistency a little but should be ok.
Suzanne Hale says
Just made this for first time & its great! Has anyone ever added taco seasoning to it? Just a thought
Natalie says
Would be waaaaaay too salty. Unless it was a homemade taco seasoning that didn’t have salt. It already has sooooo much flavor. And every ingredient added has plenty enough salt to eat on their own. So adding any additional salt would be overload. Especially because you scoop the dip up with a nice salty tortilla chip too.
Mari Frederickson says
My husband doesn’t like cream cheese so I just add a jar of dipping cheese.
Stephanie says
I just made this for the first time! Added a little onion powder to the sausage while browning. Added some shredded mozzarella and a dash of ranch seasoning! So yummy! Will be making this all fo the time!
Karen Wheeland says
Omgosh!!! I just read only 2 of these recipes (which I’m definately gonna try!) and I have to get the cookbook downloaded and bury myself in the kitchen!!! Needless to say, that’s my favorite room in my place!!! I’ll be looking forward to some daily, weekly or even monthly new recipes to try!!! Thank you…
Kat says
I added a wee bit of sour cream, shredded cheddar and a sprinkling of ranch dressing powder. SO GOOD.
Beth Bowser says
I discovered this dip almost 25 years ago! I couldn’t remember the Rotel ingredient and made it with roasted red peppers. I actually prefer them but Rotel is easy! Also, feel so SORRY for those of you outside North Carolina and areas nearby that can’t purchase Neese’s Sausage, because I’ve made it once with another brand and it was just not the same. Great, but not the same!!
Candace says
I found this recipe while looking for something to do with my Neese’s Sausage!!! I’m so happy to hear that I’ve found it!
Chris says
I cant see the recipe..
Real Housemoms JK says
Hey Chris, sorry about that. This should be working now.
Amanda Adair says
I’ve made this for probably 20 years now, my extended family expects it at every family gathering. The only difference is I use Italian sausage and we call it “Pig Dip” because everyone scarfs it down so quickly! I’ve also used the maple sausage, when doing so, I add a touch of sugar and a dash of hot sauce. This makes for a sweet and spicy dip. There are many fun ways to play with this recipe!
Tips: When reheating I usually add just a bit of milk. If you’re in an area where Italian sausage is hard to find (such as myself) add Italian spices/seasoning during the browning sausage step. It does indeed work well in a crockpot but honestly it’s usually gone before it had a chance to cool off. Cook as normal, then transfer to the crockpot or refrigerate. Once in the Crock-Pot keep the setting on the very lowest possible and stir from bottom every so often. For the picky eaters use a food processor to liquefy the Ro-tel, same great taste, and I’ve yet to meet a kid who didn’t turn their nose up at it!
Penny meyer says
made this dip today and it was EXCELLENT!!!!!!! Fast and easy..
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you, Penny!
priyanka says
Wow this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Have a great day.
Priyanka
monique goslin says
use bob evans maple sausage instead makes this dip that much better
Aubrey Cota says
Interesting, thanks for the tip!
Cheryl Remillong says
Thats how i like it too!!! I usually do 1 maple, 1 hot and spicy!! That touch of maple sweetness is THE BEST!!!! 😋
Linda says
I use the sage flavored sausage. It’s delicious.
sarah e breitenstein says
No need to put olive oil in the pan as the sausage will put off it’s own grease/oil. Otherwise, very great recipe!!!?
Aubrey Cota says
Very true, but putting the oil in the pan to begin helps to keep the pan slick until that grease is released. This helps to not put a hard sear on the sausage leaving the outside overcooked and in the inside possibly raw.
Hidaya says
Aubrey: Great point that I hadn’t thought of.
Katlyn says
I don’t have Rotel can I substitute with something else
Real Housemoms JK says
Hey Katlyn! You could use a can of diced tomatoes and add some mexican seasonings and green chilis. Hope this helps!
Bonnie says
Your recipe says a serving is 303 calories. How many servings per recipe or what size is a serving?
Aubrey Cota says
I’d say probably about a quarter cup to maybe a third of a cup.
Merrideth says
This sounds fantastic! Have you ever tried to cook it in the slow cooker?
Aubrey Cota says
I personally have not, but I bet it would work out just fine.
Rosie says
I do it all the time always perfect!!
Maria says
Cook the sausage first and then add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook as long as you would like. We do this all the time. Always a hit
JoAnn Hicks says
I’ve made this dip for years. We call it Ugly Dip, lol. It’s our favorite!
jessica whitney says
Is the sausage used in this it Italian Sausage or breakfast sausage?
Michelle says
I always use breakfast sausage! Sometimes I even use Maple flavored breakfast sausage and dang, is it good! I also use more Rotel and cream cheese than it asks for, because it makes it even better! 😋
Donna says
When my grandson was in 9th grade he had to bring a snack for the class so I made this and took it to class. This was such a hit with the teachers and kids that it was always requested. Now his brother has the same teachers and they have assigned him to bring this to class!