Sausage queso dip is creamy and hearty with bites of corn and fresh tomatoes. This queso dip is loaded with half a pound of REAL shredded cheddar and it’s one of our favorite Rotel recipes!
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Sausage Queso Dip
Sausage queso dip has to be one of the easiest dips ever! It has just a handful of simple ingredients and comes together quickly in 1 pan. It is perfect for parties or a game day appetizer just like our Cowboy Caviar, creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip, or Pico de Gallo.
The inspiration for this dip cake from one of my readers, Ksusha who shared her version, saying it was a “super easy dip that I almost never host without. It’s one of those things that never gets old.” Ksusha, thank you so much for sharing this with me!
Ingredients for Rotel Sausage Dip:
This Rotel dip recipe takes just a few simple ingredients: ground pork sausage, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, canned corn, cream cheese, and real cheddar cheese. The garnish is just chopped tomato and green onion or chives.
Substitutions and Toppings for Queso Dip:
We love to change up this queso dip based on what we have on hand. Here are some ideas for queso variations:
- Other ground meat (i.e. chicken, beef, turkey) for ground sausage. If it doesn’t say “sausage” on the label, you may need to add additional seasoning to taste at the end.
- Chopped black olives for the corn
- Adding black beans and chopped jalapenos
- Adding taco seasoning and serve with sour cream
How to Make Sausage Queso Dip:
1. In a large dry pot or deep skillet over medium/high heat, brown sausage (10-12 minutes), breaking it apart with your spatula (the sausage releases enough oil to grease the pan). Pat sausage dry with a large paper towel to remove excess grease – push paper towel around the pan with a spatula until fully saturated then discard.
2. Cut cream cheese into pieces and stir it into browned pork cooking over medium heat until melted and incorporated.
3. Add 2 cans un-drained Rotel tomatoes, 15 oz can drained corn, and 8 oz shredded cheddar (reserve some cheddar to garnish the top if desired). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally just until bubbly and cheese is melted. Remove from heat, garnish with diced tomatoes, reserved cheddar, and fresh chives. Serve with tortilla chips.
It does melt into a perfectly creamy consistency and you’ll find that sampling at this stage is undeniably irresistible! This does make a big batch so it is absolutely party friendly.
Can I Make Queso in the Slow Cooker?
Our readers have also had success in making this queso dip in the crockpot. You can keep it warm for hours while the game is on so everyone can have seconds. Just make sure you brown your meat on the stove before adding it to the crockpot.
How to Reheat Leftover Dip:
If you’re fortunate enough to end up with leftovers, this queso dip reheats really well. You can microwave it for 1 1/2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds, or on the stovetop, stirring frequently until heated through.
More Party Dip Recipes:
We have lots of great dip recipes. Try some of our others for your next game day party:
- Hot Shrimp Dip -creamy and cheesy with shrimp and artichokes
- Buffalo Chicken Dip -great with chips and veggie sticks
- Southwest Hot Chicken Dip -extra cheesy
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip -always a hit at parties
- Avocado Ranch -quick and easy to make
Sausage Queso Dip Recipe (with Real Cheese!)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Sausage Queso:
- 1 lb ground pork sausage, make sure it says "sausage"
- 8 oz cream cheese, (no need to soften)
- 20 oz Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies, (two 10oz cans)
- 15 oz can of corn, drained
- 8 oz medium cheddar cheese, shredded
Garnish for Queso Dip:
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 1 Tbsp chives or green onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large dry pot or deep skillet over med/high heat, brown sausage (10-12 min), breaking it apart with your spatula (the sausage releases enough oil to grease the pan). When browned, remove excess grease by pushing a paper towel around the pan with a spatula until fully saturated then discard.
- Cut cream cheese into pieces and stir it into browned pork until melted and incorporated.
- Add 2 cans un-drained Rotel tomatoes, 15 oz can drained corn, and 8 oz shredded cheddar (reserve some cheddar to garnish the top if desired). Cook over med heat, stirring occasionally just until bubbly and cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.
- Remove from heat, garnish with fresh tomatoes, reserved cheddar, and chopped chives. Serve with tortilla chips.
Nutrition Per Serving
We first published this recipe in 2012 and updated it in January 2020 with more tips, substitutions, reheating instructions and how to make Rotel queso dip in the slow cooker.
And that cute little hand is my son’s. He was my willing hand model.