Many taco dip recipes require sour cream, an ingredient that I do not always have around. The recipe below is my version, and can easily be doubled, tripled, etc. In addition to being a delicious dip for chips or vegetables, it can be thinned with an extra half cup of sauce and served over pasta. When using it that way, I prefer to refrain from baking it, and instead add it to a large saucepan with cooked macaroni and a half cup or so of the pasta water, then top with the cheddar just before serving. A good dip is a great multitasker as well as a thrifty, quick way to feed unexpected guests.
Cream Cheese Taco Dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning (see recipe below)
- 1/8 – 1 teaspoon hot sauce (I like Frank’s)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add the tomato sauce, taco seasoning and hot sauce and beat for two minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. (Of course, this can also be done by hand.)
Spread the mixture into a 9×5 loaf pan (or whichever dish you prefer) and spread the cheddar cheese evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheddar is completely melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let cool until warm. Serve with desired dipping vessels, such as pita chips, sliced vegetables, or crostini.
Taco Seasoning (Or you can use this recipe for Taco Seasoning)
- ½ cup chili powder
- ¼ cup ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container.
Find all our other DIY recipes that we’ve posted. Love cream cheese? Next you might want to try this awesome Cream Cheese Danish recipe!
Have you ever made Cream Cheese Taco Dip? What is your favorite food item to “dip”?
Jackie says
March 19, 2013 at 4:09 pmI like this idea because I usually have cream cheese on hand. We like to dip corn tortilla chips.
Justine says
March 24, 2013 at 1:55 pmStopping by from Mop It Up Monday. Thanks for sharing! http://queenofsavings.com
Clare says
March 24, 2013 at 5:20 pmWe make something similar but I put cream cheese into a cake pan and smoosh it all down so the whole bottom is covered. Pour salsa on top to make an even layer to cover the cream cheese. Then you sprinkle with the cheese of your choice and bake in the oven until the cheese is all melted. We then use corn tortilla chips so it makes it a gluten free item as well.
Kelly @ View Along the Way says
March 24, 2013 at 6:57 pmOh yes, this is my kinda food! Yum. Thanks for linking it up to Monday Funday!
Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog says
March 26, 2013 at 6:18 pmI’m drooling! This looks SO good! Pinning to make later! I found you at Lil’ Luna–thanks for sharing!
~Abby =)
Laurie @ Simply Creating Home says
March 26, 2013 at 10:53 pmThis looks wonderful! I’ll be pinning so I can refer back to it next time I need a quick dip idea. Thanks so much!
Andrea says
March 27, 2013 at 7:27 pmThis looks great! Stopping by from Lil Luna 🙂
RamblingReed.blogspot.com
Miz Helen says
March 29, 2013 at 11:06 amThis is a great dip, Amanda. We will really enjoy this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Miz Helen says
June 11, 2013 at 9:24 amHope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Breanna says
October 4, 2013 at 8:31 amI was just going to let you know that I clicked on the chicken nugget dip recipe and it redirected me to this page.
Merissa says
October 4, 2013 at 8:54 amFixing that now…here is the correct recipe: https://www.littlehouseliving.com/real-food-road-trip-snacks-chicken-nuggets-dip.html
Angel says
November 4, 2013 at 2:36 pmMy daughter makes a warm dip using the cream cheese & rotel tomatoes and she will add cooked jimmy dean sausage…it is yummy!
robin says
November 8, 2013 at 10:32 pmThis was a good dip – didn’t follow the exact recipe because I wanted to use what I had on hand, lol. Substituted 1/2 cup salsa for the tomato sauce and taco seasoning (I couldn’t justify opening a pint of sauce to use 1/2 cup, but I knew we would consume the leftover salsa fast enough), and used pepper jack because I didn’t have any cheddar on hand. It was great! and fast and easy. Thank you for the recipe!
Rae Ramos says
December 10, 2013 at 2:56 pmthank you
Felecia Cofield says
December 10, 2013 at 7:41 pmHi Amanda! The recipe looks so yummy! Great for serving at holiday parties or anytime! Thanks for sharing the recipes! Blessings from Bama!