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Home / Holidays and Events / Christmas / Appetizers

Cheesy Crockpot Sausage Rotel Dip

5
/5
3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
36 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 11/25/2018

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The perfect dip for a party, this crockpot creamy sausage dip is zesty, cheesy, and made easily in the slow cooker! #rotel #sausage #creamy #cheesy #dip #party #gameday #tailgate #crockpot #slowcooker

Perfect for game day or a party, this creamy sausage and rotel dip is loaded with extra cheese and made easily in the crockpot!

The classic creamy rotel dip gets a zesty update with a mix of regular and spicy sausage, and plenty of gooey cheese!

The perfect dip for a party, this crockpot creamy sausage dip is zesty, cheesy, and made easily in the slow cooker! #rotel #sausage #creamy #cheesy #dip #party #gameday #tailgate #crockpot #slowcooker

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  It was our first year hosting, and I loved every stressful minute of it!  Now that the holiday has passed, we’re getting ready for all the party events over the next month or two… which gets me excited about appetizers and party foods.  One dip my family has always loved is the creamy sausage dip made with rotel.

Here in the midwest it goes by many names; crack dip, hissy fit dip, “that sausage dip”, and many others… but when researching what to name this post, apparently rotel dip or creamy sausage dip is the one that most people know it by.

Chip full of creamy rotel dip in crockpot

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN ROTEL DIP?

There are three basic ingredients that are commonly used.  Sausage, cream cheese, and Ro-tel.  My version has a few extra ingredients to make it extra zesty and flavorful, such as hot sausage, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, and a dash of hot sauce.

WHAT IS RO-TEL?

Here in the US, Ro-tel is a brand name of a line of canned tomatoes mixed with green chiles.  The original version uses diced tomatoes and diced green chiles with a proprietary blend of spices. There are MANY different varieties of Ro-tel.

Scoop of rotel dip in crockpot

CAN YOU MAKE ROTEL DIP IN A SKILLET?

Absolutely!  I love to make it in the slow cooker for the convenience for a party, but you can definitely make it in a skillet on the stovetop.  Just brown the sausage, then add in the Ro-tel and cream cheese and stir until melted.  Add in the cheddar and cook until melted!  Full skillet directions will be written beneath the recipe below.

CAN ROTEL DIP BE MADE WITH BEEF?

Not a sausage fan?  No problem.  The flavor won’t be quite the same, and I would suggest adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to make up for the heat of the hot sausage, but you’ll still have a tasty dip!  I will say though, I’m not the biggest sausage fan, and even I love it in this dip.

Cheesy creamy sausage rotel dip in slow cooker

HOW DO YOU MAKE SAUSAGE ROTEL DIP?

I love dips like this creamy sausage dip, because you basically only have to cook the sausage.  The rest of the dip ingredients are just warmed until gooey and creamy.  After you brown the sausage, add it to the crockpot insert and add in Ro-tel and cream cheese, hot sauce, and half the cheddar.  Stir, top with remaining cheddar and cook on low until bubbly.  Easy peasy!

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING ROTEL DIP:

  • Don’t drain the Ro-tel.  This goes against all my instincts when it comes to cooking, since I drain everything from a can, but the “juice” is important to thin the dip out so that it’s perfectly scoop-able.
  • Use as much spice as you’d like.  This dip is somewhere between mild and medium heat as written, but feel free to use all hot sausage, use hot Ro-tel, or add more hot sauce to fit your tastes.  Conversely, use all regular sausage and omit the hot sauce to make it more mild.
  • This dip is amazing with a salty chip, but you’ll want to pick one that can handle a hefty dip.  Fritos scoops are my personal favorite, but tortilla chips can work if they’re not the super thin ones.

Creamy sausage dip in crockpot

OTHER GREAT PARTY DIPS:

  • Cincinnati-Style Chili Cheese Dip (Skyline Dip)
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Taco Dip
  • Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
  • Spicy Creamy Corn Dip
  • Horseradish Clam Dip
  • Jalapeno Popper Dip

SHOP THE RECIPE:

  • Large deep skillet – I love this pan, since it cooks evenly, cleans up well, and is large enough for a lot of food!
  • 6 quart slow cooker – this crockpot is amazing due to it’s consistent cooking, and I love the sealed lid!
  • Original Ro-tel – this is the brand used in this recipe.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

The perfect dip for a party, this crockpot creamy sausage dip is zesty, cheesy, and made easily in the slow cooker! #rotel #sausage #creamy #cheesy #dip #party #gameday #tailgate #crockpot #slowcooker

Cheesy Crockpot Sausage Rotel Dip

5 from 14 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Calories: 444
Servings: 12 servings
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Perfect for game day or a party, this creamy sausage and rotel dip is loaded with extra cheese and made easily in the crockpot!

Ingredients

  • drizzle olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground pork sausage roll
  • 1 lb. spicy ground pork sausage roll
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp minced dried onion
  • 16 oz cream cheese, cubed
  • 20 oz Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chiles (undrained)
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • minced fresh chives, for garnish

Instructions

  • Add a small drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet, and heat over MED-HIGH heat.  Add both sausages and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as you cook, until sausage is browned, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Drain cooked sausage, then add to crockpot insert.  Top with garlic powder, dried onion, cubed cream cheese, Ro-tel, hot sauce, pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
  • Stir well, then cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or HIGH for 1.5-2 hours.  Remove cover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese, then cover again and cook another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
  • Sprinkle with minced chives and serve hot.

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Chef Tips

Recipe serves 12 people as an appetizer.

SKILLET DIRECTIONS

  • Brown sausage as directed in step 1.  Drain and return to skillet.  Add garlic powder, dried onion, cubed cream cheese, Ro-tel, hot sauce, pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
  • Stir well, then cook on MED-LOW until hot and bubbly.
  • Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese, then cook another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  • Garnish as desired and serve hot.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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The perfect dip for a party, this crockpot creamy sausage dip is zesty, cheesy, and made easily in the slow cooker! #rotel #sausage #creamy #cheesy #dip #party #gameday #tailgate #crockpot #slowcooker

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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5 from 14 votes

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Recipe Rating




  1. Cheryl says

    Posted on 2/21 at 9:39 pm

    Hello Amanda. Where have you been hiding? Your recipes are fantastic. I just ran across your site and I’ve wasted way too much time on others. I just join yours for 3 reasons. #1-You give us the options of emailing our recipes. Not many do that, they just tell you that you can print it out. At this time I don’t have a working printer, so thanks so much for being courteous. #2-How could you know all the things I like. Now some of them I wish I had back in my 20’s because I ate these food nonstop. #3-No one has put a smile on my face like your site just did. For this I want to say THANK YOU Amanda and I will never leave you…ha ha Look forward to you next email!

    Reply
  2. Bruno says

    Posted on 10/10 at 6:31 pm

    Made this today for watching football with my whole family; mom, dad, siblings, in-laws, nephews…the whole gang.
    This dip is a superstar! My “go to” from now on! So glad we found your recipe. I doubled it, but followed to a T. Def recommend having that salty chip!! Cheers!!!

    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    Posted on 10/1 at 11:21 am

    I use the Tostito scoops for mine as well as the frito scoops
    Makes little cups for the dip

    Reply
  4. Lynda Duncan Brown says

    Posted on 8/14 at 1:03 am

    Family loves this recipe and now requested for EVERY family function!

    Reply
  5. Dori says

    Posted on 5/2 at 10:36 pm

    Absolutely delicious. Halved it and cooked in cast iron skillet. Wasn’t sure it would all fit my size pan and we now know it will! Used smoked sea salt pork rinds. We all loved it. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Brooke C says

    Posted on 4/28 at 3:45 pm

    This recipe is amazing!! I love it. I’ve made it 2 times and the only thing I change is that I don’t add as much cheddar to the top of dip at the end (it makes it a touch too salty for me), but otherwise…it’s perfect. The amount of spice is just right (and I don’t really like spicy things) so don’t be afraid to try it hot sauce and all! This a great dip!!

    Reply
  7. Megan Wood says

    Posted on 1/31 at 10:15 am

    I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s always been a big hit. As is this dip has a tiny bit of kick because of the hot sausage but it isn’t spicy. Highly recommend!

    Reply
  8. Carolyn says

    Posted on 1/16 at 12:25 am

    Absolutely love the sausage cheesey rotel dip. So easy and delicious. Made it for Thanksgiving also again for Christmas. Can I give it more than 5 stars?

    Reply
    • Nicole Leslie says

      Posted on 5/21 at 10:10 am

      Did u use Jimmy deanz sausage or just regular plain brand sausage?

      Reply
      • The Chunky Chef says

        Posted on 5/21 at 9:33 pm

        I just buy whichever brand is on sale 🙂

        Reply
  9. Brian says

    Posted on 1/14 at 11:18 am

    Has anyone tried using potatoes, for like a casserole and omit using chips for a dip? Think I’m going to try that!

    Reply
  10. Mish says

    Posted on 12/16 at 8:26 pm

    Which option would be better: Make the sausage the night before and reheat or make the sausage that morning and add it to the crockpot with other stuff when ready? I am making for a Christmas Party and I’m not sure about timing of everything. 

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/16 at 10:06 pm

      To save time, I’d brown the sausage the night before 🙂

      Reply
    • stephanie says

      Posted on 2/7 at 5:22 pm

      Did you brown it the night before? If so, how did it turn out?

      Reply
  11. Heidi M says

    Posted on 12/15 at 6:08 am

    I always make this with two rolls jimmy dean sausage original. 1 TBSP Bliss hot sauce. 2 cans Rotel with green chili, 1 is mild and other original. I add 1/2 cup whole milk too. It’s so good!

    Reply
  12. Jennifer says

    Posted on 12/6 at 4:20 pm

    Can you make it without rotel?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/9 at 10:08 pm

      I wouldn’t advise it, as the rotel is a main part of this recipe.

      Reply
  13. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    Posted on 12/5 at 12:13 pm

    Such a great dip! I love all the creaminess! Perfect for all the fall and winter gatherings!

    Reply
  14. Todd says

    Posted on 12/1 at 2:16 pm

    Can this be easily tripled or quadrupled for a 6qt crock pot

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/1 at 9:43 pm

      I would think it would easily be tripled, but I don’t know for sure if a quadruple batch would fit in a 6 qt crockpot.

      Reply
  15. AMy says

    Posted on 11/28 at 12:54 pm

    I love a good dip! This is one that i have to make!

    Reply
  16. Krista says

    Posted on 11/28 at 9:50 am

    This is a great addition to our Sunday football gatherings!

    Reply
  17. Catalina says

    Posted on 11/27 at 11:46 am

    OMG! I love this goodness! This looks like a new favorite movie night dinner in my house!

    Reply
  18. Chrissie Baker says

    Posted on 11/26 at 12:55 pm

    Everyone in my family loved this as a snack! Great recipe for a game night!

    Reply
  19. Sabrina says

    Posted on 11/26 at 12:30 pm

    Yes, yes, yes to all of this dip!! I am drooling over each picture!

    Reply
  20. Demeter says

    Posted on 11/26 at 12:29 pm

    This looks like it’s a party must have dip! So easy using the slow cooker too.

    Reply
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