4 Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip (Slow Cooker & Instant Pot)

This 4 Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip is perfect on game day for dipping chips or pouring over hotdogs! Made with cream cheese and real shredded cheddar cheese (no Velveeta!), this cheesy appetizer works in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
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Oh chili cheese dip – you take me back to college. If I recall correctly, the neighbors would buy the cheapest chili at Walmart and then microwave it all with a brick of cream cheese. Additional cheese is questionable but I decided to go for it because cheese is undoubtedly my favorite food.

Pros about this chili cheese dip:

• If we could make it in college, anyone can make it, any time. It’s really, really easy.
• You can make it ahead of time and keep it hot so you don’t actually have to do anything when guests arrive
• Customizations are endless. you can go beans or no beans! meat or no meat! hot or not!
• Everyone likes cheese.
• Did I mention cheese?

What are the ingredients in the chili cheese dip?

I’m proud to say that with a bit of a chili upgrade and some extra flavors and texture from my favorite canned tomato go-to, this chili cheese dip is even better than I remember in college. Here’s what’s inside:

• vegetarian chili – You can use whatever canned chili you want, but I’ve opted to keep it vegetarian because I just felt like it. If you’re serving this as an app and there are lots of other meats, why not try it veggie? For brands, I tried with both Trader Joe’s Vegetarian Chili and Amy’s Organic Vegetarian Chili. Two cans!
• cream cheese – One good old fashioned brick of cream cheese please.
• Rotel – Rotel is my canned-tomato-with-flavor go-to. I love how quick and easy it is to add more flavor depth and texture with just one little can of goodness. Choose your own heat level, too!
• shredded cheddar cheese – Because, cheese. My favorite food group.

What’s the best cheese to use for the chili cheese dip?

I have only tried using mild and sharp cheddar for this recipe – I’m not sure it would taste quite the same with anything else but I also don’t think it would be bad. Any kind of cheese you normally might put on chili could work, as long as it has good melting abilities.

If you’re in love with a particular kind of cheese and you want to try it, I’m not here to stop you and your cheese whims. I fully understand. My only thing is please be sure to shred your own cheese!

Why use shredded cheese instead of pre-shredded cheese?

Pre-shredded cheese comes from the store with a coating made up of corn starch and a few other powdery things that keep the shredded cheese from clumping together. Unfortunately, if you want that melty gooey goodness, pre-shredded cheese won’t work due to that coating. 

Solution? Grate your own cheese! No coating, no weird clumping when it melts, and cheese is the only ingredient.

Can I use chili with meat or add my own meat?

Yes, yes, and yes to any questions about the chili or meat additions!

Here are some ways you could customize this chili cheese dip:

• use your favorite kind of chili with or without meat
• cook up one pound of ground taco meat (beef or chicken would be good), and add that in once everything is cooked
• add a can of diced green chilis
• substitute your favorite salsa for the Rotel
• add some sauteéd veggies
• hot sauce!
• seriously do whatever you want with this dip as long as you ENJOY it with friends

How do you make this chili cheese dip in the Instant Pot?

This recipe can be made either in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker, whichever you have! I don’t generally use the slow cooker function on my Instant Pot, but this is one way to put it to use.

To make this chili cheese dip in the Instant Pot, start by adding the cans of chili, the rotel, and the cream cheese to the liner. Set it to Slow Cook on HIGH and let it go for 90 minutes with the lid on (leave the pressure valve unsealed). However, you can also use the Instant Pot 6 qt Glass Lid (affiliate link!) since we are not pressure cooking with this recipe.

After 90 minutes, stir the cream cheese brick completely into the chili and rotel, and then add the shredded cheese. Stir it around and put the lid back on for 15 more minutes until the cheese is completely melted. Give it another mix, and then it’s ready to serve!

You can either serve the dip directly in the slow cooker or Instant Pot (maybe provide and big spoon and bowls with the chips), OR you can put it in a serving bowl as pictured below!

How do you make this chili cheese dip in the slow cooker?

To make this chili cheese dip in the slow cooker, start by adding the cans of chili, the rotel, and the cream cheese to the liner. Set it to HIGH and let it go for 90 minutes with the lid on. After this, it’s pretty similar to the Instant Pot version. 

After 90 minutes, stir the cream cheese brick completely into the chili and rotel, and then add the shredded cheese. Stir it around and put the lid back on for 15 more minutes until the cheese is completely melted. Give it another mix, and then it’s ready to serve!

You can either serve the dip directly in the slow cooker or Instant Pot (maybe provide and big spoon and bowls with the chips), OR you can put it in a serving bowl as pictured below!

Can you use this chili cheese dip for hotdogs?

I turned to my husband and said, “hey, would you put that chili cheese dip I made on a hotdog?” 

Pretty sure the response was “HELL YES” so I’m safely going to say this chili cheese dip would be wonderful for hotdogs. If you test this, I want to see pictures!!

How long will the chili cheese dip last?

Store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I would suggest consuming this chili cheese dip within 4 days of originally making it. Be sure to only reheat it one time.

More snack recipes from Project Meal Plan:

• Pesto Goat Cheese Dip
• Buffalo Deviled Eggs
• Peppermint Cocoa Roasted Nuts

Did you make this Chili Cheese Dip?! I want to see how it turned out! Tag @projectmealplan on Instagram and use the hashtag #projectmealplan!