If ever there was such as thing as BOOM FOOD, this is it. For sure. It’s just that it was sort of an unexpected recipe that came together on a moment’s notice, and now that I’ve had it, I just want more and more, and I can’t understand why I didn’t put this fairly simple combination together before, because, end of day, it’s pretty perfect. Yeah. THIS! It’s all made in a single pan, and it’s incredibly satisfying. I’m including Hatch chiles with my chili-cheese dip, though you can use other green chilies. Also, I like to make an easy chili recipe from scratch, rather than use a canned chili like Hormel chili. It’s so much better this way. Let’s talk about how to make chili-cheese dip, shall we? Seasonings. Add red chili powder, basil, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook another 5 minutes until the meat is mostly cooked through. This is your layer of chili. No chili with beans this time, my friends, though you can add in beans if you’d like. I mean, just look at it. DANG! BOOM! What you’ll end up with is a slightly meaty, extra cheesy, slightly spicy dip with just the right amount of tomato that will essentially beg for you to dip a chip right in there. Like so. I do not feel guilty about this. In fact, I feel fortunate that I listened to my gut here and followed serendipity, because otherwise, I would have not discovered this new favorite dip of mine. I have to say that while it is freaking AWESOME on a crispy tortilla chip, you absolutely need to try this on a warmed flour tortilla. After noshing half the pan with chips, I had the idea that, hey, what if this was served up as a taco? You know what? YES! BOOM again! Give it a go for your next party. Or just make it for yourself and don’t feel bad about it. You have my permission to do this guilt free. It’s slow cooker friendly, too - just cook it longer until nice and melty. Enjoy it! I’ll just be over here making another pan of cheese homemade chili cheese dip… Shhh… Where Can You Buy Hatch Chili Peppers? Here are my recommendations. Learn more about Hatch Chili Peppers. Here are some answers to questions I’ve received about this recipe. If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! – Mike H. A good pepper jack cheese works as well. Go for either flavorful melty cheeses, or a hard crumbly Mexican cheese, like Queso Blanco, as a garnish. Another option is to add crumbled tortilla chips to thicken it up. NOTE: This recipe was updated on 4/22/22 to include new information, photos and video. It was originally published on 7/21/17.
