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This easy chili cheese dip has just 3 ingredients and is done in under 20 minutes. It’s the perfect cheesy appetizer for game day or any party!
My version of Chili Cheese Dip has just three ingredients: cream cheese, chili, and cheddar. There’s nothing fake in this appetizer, just delicious gooey chili flavor!
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BEST Easy Chili Cheese Dip
This easy chili cheese dip is comfort food at it’s finest: a hot layer of chili and cream cheese mixed with cheddar cheese. It’s such a delicious way to eat your weight in tortilla chips. It has just three ingredients and is so sinfully good!
There is one time of year I love making these sorts of gooey dip recipes: during football playoffs. January is a month where every weekend is dedicated to football as my husband hangs on to another season, dreading its end. The month is usually full of playoff watch parties, culminating in the biggest one of all for the big game in February.
If you’ve read this blog for awhile, you’ll know my husband doesn’t eat much of what I make. He can give a hard pass to cookies or bread, cakes and even pie, but he can never say no to chili.
When I first met Mel, we’d always have cans of chili in the cabinet. Chili was his go-to dinner if I didn’t feel like cooking or if he was home alone. So when I told him I was making this easy chili cheese dip, he started drooling immediately.
It turns out that chili cheese dip isn’t just a good appetizer, it’s a fantastic dinner too. He inhaled this dip while watching the playoff games last weekend!
When I was thinking about what to make for my newest game day appetizer, I knew I wanted to do a hot and cheesy dip. I’ve made pizza dip before, as well as a cheesy pesto dip, and both were hits. Chili dip was my next great idea.
Since there are only three ingredients in this recipe, you want to be sure to use the best ones you can find. I used Challenge Cream Cheese because it’s my favorite! It’s made the right way; the old fashioned way from the freshest milk and cream that comes from happy cows at family-owned dairies. There are no hormones, additives, or fillers and it’s a cooperative of California family-owned dairies, formed nearly 100 years ago.
If you’ve read my blog long enough you’ll know that Challenge is a company that’s near and dear my heart. It’s the ONLY butter my parents will buy, so I grew up eating it. Same goes for their cream cheese!
In addition to the cream cheese, I also use real cheddar cheese (not the fake stuff!) because I love the flavor of cheddar cheese on chili.
When it comes to chili, just be sure to get a brand and flavor you like. It’s easy to make this dip vegetarian by using vegetarian chili, or use one with meat or beans as you wish.
An easy chili cheese dip is the perfect game day appetizer. With just 3 ingredients it’s done in under 20 minutes and is fantastic with tortilla chips.
A few tips and tricks for making chili cheese dip:
- Since the recipe uses cheddar cheese, be sure to bake it right before serving.
- Use your favorite chili brand and flavor.
- Want it spicy? Drizzle it with hot sauce after baking!
Other appetizer recipes that are perfect for game day:
- Peanut Butter Football Dip also uses Challenge cream cheese.
- 7 Layer Pizza Dip is also a hot cheesy dip!
Chili Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Challenge Cream Cheese softened
- 1 15 ounces can chili any brand/flavor
- 2-3 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Stir together cream cheese and chili until combined (mixture will be chunky). Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Spread mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate or similarly sized pan. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.
- For a spicier dish, drizzle dip with hot sauce (to taste) after baking.
Recipe Video
Recipe Nutrition
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
Cheesy Pesto Dip is another fantastic appetizer.
Make a sweet appetizer with my Peanut Butter Cheese Ball!
Last Updated on January 24, 2023
I make a chili cheese dip almost the same as this, but I add a pound of ground beef (cooked) with a package of taco seasoning added to it. I learned it years ago from a Tupperware party where they were demonstrating some of their microwave cookware. It can all be done in the microwave. I may try this recipe how it’s written without the ground beef to see how I like it. I’m just not that crazy about the “meat” that comes in the canned chili so I like adding the ground beef to help cover it up. Lol. If I do make this recipe, I will come back and rate it. Thanks for the recipe, Dorothy!!
WHat great tips thank you!!
Love this recipe, I bri g a double batch when invited to game night, parties etc. I bring a copy of it on recipe cards when asked!
Hi there,
This looks so amazing and I would love to try it out but I am from South Africa, and we do not get canned chili.
Is it a chilli sauce or crushed chillies? Do you perhaps have a recipe so I can make my own? 🙂 🙂
Geeze AGNESS, who cares if you’ve been making this 20 years. Why you even on her recipe for then.
Excellent! Thanks for sharing is amazing and my first time making exactly as your recipe.
Much appreciated by me.
I’ve been making this for about 20 years, I don’t think its your original recipe.
Oh my gosh, wow! I could go for this right now!
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