Appetizer

Game Day Frito Chili Cheese Dip

This chili cheese dip is loaded with chili and topped with melted pepper jack cheese! This is the perfect dip for any game day parties!

To recipe
chili cheese dip in a skillet
Recipe insights & TIPS

Delicious chili cheese dip with crushed Frito chips and melted pepper jack cheese. This is a certain game day must-have on the menu!

chili cheese dip in a skillet

We all talk about game day and how important the snack food choices are, and I totally agree with all of that! But Let's not just focus on a small time of the year such as the Super Bowl, where we can hungrily grab scoops of spicy hot chili with two kinds of melted cheese and crumbled Frito chips!

This dip would be welcome any time of the year, even in the hot summer paired with an ice cold beer! Heck, I'd even crush this dip as an appetizer before my turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving. To make this dip as good as it is, Cabot Cheese is my first choice. Cabot is owned by 1000 farming families throughout New England and New York. Cabot co-op can also boast that 100% of profits go right back to the farmers so they can continue to make cheese for crazy delicious dips like this one!

chili cheese dip

It's that good, and don't be swayed by having to make the chili from scratch. It's quick and easy, the hardest part is waiting for the blanket of cheese to start bubbling and watching the juices from the chili creep up around the sides of the pan. I think you know exactly what I'm talking about!

What kind of cheese should I use for my chili cheese dip?

With a chili cheese dip like this, you need to make sure the cheese you use is going to add tons of flavor and melt easily enough. I used about 90% Cabot Pepper Jack and a small amount of Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar. The spicy pepper jack kicked up the heat just a little while the sharp cheddar kept things creamy enough to get a good cheese pull!

hand scooping up some chili cheese dip

What can I serve my chili cheese dip with?

Make sure you have enough tortilla chips on hand when you set this chili cheese dip down because it's not going to last long. You can also use more of the Frito chips for dipping or slice a baguette into thin strips and toast them in the oven like you would do to make a crouton.

If all else fails, a spoon and a bowl will keep your game day friends happy! I recommend doubling up on this recipe!

chili covered in cheese to make chili cheese dip
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Recipe

This dip is loaded with rich chili and topped with melted pepper jack cheese! This is the perfect dip for any game day. Serve with plenty of chips!

Course:
Appetizer
COOKing TIME:
25 minutes
Total TIME:
40 minutes
CUISINE:
American
PREP TIME:
15 minutes
SERVINGS:
8

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 14 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 14 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 8 oz. Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese grated
  • 4 oz. Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated
  • 1 large bag Frito Chips
  • Green onion
  • Cilantro

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a 10 inch cast iron pan or oven safe skillet add the beef and brown until no longer pink.
  • Drain the grease from the meat and add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt.
  • Bring to a simmer and add some crushed Frito chips.
  • Top with the grated Pepper Jack and Vermont Cheddar Cheese.
  • Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes and the cheese is hot and bubbling.
  • Garnish with extra Frito chips, green onions, and cilantro.
  • Serve at once with tortilla chips.
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