Sausage Dip

This is the kind of dip that disappears first at every tailgate and Super Bowl party. Ground sausage and beef get cooked together, then melted into a vat of Velveeta with Rotel tomatoes, hot chili peppers, and cream of mushroom soup. Thick, spicy, meaty, and completely addictive.

Velveeta melts smoother than any natural cheese, and that’s the whole point here. It creates a creamy, pourable base that won’t seize up or get grainy as it cools. The cream of mushroom soup adds body and a savory depth that keeps the dip from being just meat and cheese.

The hot chili peppers on top of the Rotel tomatoes give this real kick. If you’re feeding a crowd with mixed heat tolerance, start with one chili pepper and taste before adding the second.

Pro Tips

• Brown the meat in small batches and break it into fine crumbles. Big chunks of sausage don’t scoop well on a chip.
• Drain the grease from the cooked meat before adding cheese. Too much fat makes the dip greasy and separated.
• Keep warm in a slow cooker on the low setting for parties. It stays scoopable for hours.
• Serve with sturdy tortilla chips or thick-cut bread. Thin chips snap under the weight of this dip.

Variations

• Use hot sausage and skip the extra chili peppers for a simpler heat source.
• Add a can of black beans and some corn for a Southwestern twist.
• Swap cream of mushroom for cream of jalapeño soup to double down on the heat.