There’s something about melted cheese and spicy meat that makes every game day feel like a celebration. This dip hits the table bubbling hot, with ribbons of Velveeta swirled through browned beef and sausage, flecked with tomatoes and green chiles from the Rotel. The cream cheese melts into pockets of tang that balance the heat. You’ll scrape the slow cooker clean every single time.
The low carb trick? Skip the chips entirely. Serve this 5-Ingredient Football Dip with celery sticks, bell pepper strips, or pork rinds. Nobody misses the tortilla chips when the dip itself is this rich and satisfying. I’ve watched keto friends and carb-lovers alike hover around the same slow cooker, double-dipping with whatever’s crunchy.
Why You’ll Love This Dip
- Genuinely five ingredients that you probably have on hand already
- Set it and forget it in the slow cooker while you prep everything else
- Stays smooth for hours without separating or getting grainy
- Works hot or warm so latecomers still get the good stuff
Key Ingredients
Ground beef (1 pound): The foundation. Use 80/20 for flavor without grease pools. Leaner beef tastes flat in cheese dips. Brown it hard to get those caramelized bits that add depth. I drain off about half the fat, leaving enough to keep things silky.
Ground sausage (1 pound): This is where you control the heat level. Mild Italian sausage keeps it family-friendly. Hot breakfast sausage brings a kick. I split the difference with medium, which gives a warm tingle without making anyone reach for milk. The fennel and spices in Italian sausage add complexity you don’t get from beef alone.
Velveeta cheese (16 ounces): The secret to dips that don’t break. Real cheese separates into oil slicks when held at temperature for hours. Velveeta has emulsifiers that keep everything smooth from first scoop to last. Cube it small, about one-inch pieces, so it melts evenly without clumping.
Rotel (10-ounce can): Diced tomatoes with green chiles in one can. The original blend has the right heat-to-acid ratio. Fire-roasted adds smokiness if you want another layer. Don’t drain it. That liquid seasons the whole dip and keeps it from getting too thick.
Cream cheese (8 ounces): Adds body and a slight tang that cuts through all that richness. Must be cubed like the Velveeta. Cold blocks take forever to melt and leave you with lumps. I cut mine into roughly twelve pieces and let them sit out while the meat cooks.
In Asheville, I keep these five ingredients stocked during football season. Takes up one shelf in the fridge.
Instructions
Brown the meats together. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add both pounds of meat, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as they cook. You want small crumbles, not big chunks. Press the meat flat against the pan occasionally to get good browning. Takes about 8 minutes until no pink remains and you’ve got dark bits stuck to the pan.
Drain the fat. Tilt the skillet and spoon off about half the grease into a can. Leave some behind. It carries flavor and helps the cheese melt smoothly. If you drain it all, the dip tastes dry even though it looks wet.
Transfer to slow cooker. Scrape all the meat into your slow cooker, including those browned bits. They’re pure flavor. Add the cubed Velveeta, cubed cream cheese, and the entire can of Rotel with its liquid. Don’t stir yet.
Cook on low for two hours. Cover and walk away. The first hour, the cheeses will soften but hold their shape. Around 90 minutes, everything starts melting together. At two hours, give it a good stir. The dip should be completely smooth, with the meat evenly distributed and the color a warm orange-tan from the Rotel.
Check the consistency. It should coat a spoon but still flow. Too thick? Stir in a tablespoon of milk or beef broth. Too thin? Leave the lid cracked for 15 minutes to let moisture escape. I’ve never had to adjust it, but slow cookers vary.
Switch to warm. Once it’s smooth and hot, turn the setting to warm. It’ll hold for four hours easily without breaking. Stir every hour if you think about it, but it’s not critical.
The smell alone brings people into the kitchen. That’s your cue to set out the dippers.
Tips & Variations
Pre-brown the meat the night before. Cook, drain, and refrigerate. Game day, just dump everything in the slow cooker and add 15 minutes to the cooking time since the meat starts cold.
For thicker dip, add 4 ounces more cream cheese. Some people like it almost spreadable. The extra cream cheese also makes it tangier, which I prefer with spicy sausage.
Taste before serving. If it needs salt, add it now. The Velveeta and sausage usually season it enough, but every brand varies. Start with a quarter teaspoon, stir, taste again.
Variation one: Swap half the beef for chorizo. Mexican chorizo adds paprika and cumin notes that make this taste completely different. Remove the casings before cooking.
Variation two: Stir in a cup of cooked black beans. Adds texture and makes the dip stretch further. Rinse canned beans first so they don’t add starchy liquid.
Storage & Pairings
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, or microwave in 30-second bursts. It’ll thicken when cold, so add a splash of milk when reheating.
Serve with celery sticks, cucumber rounds, bell pepper strips, pork rinds, or cheese crisps for low carb. Regular tortilla chips work fine if you’re not counting carbs.
FAQ
Can I make this 5-Ingredient Football Dip (Low Carb Trick) in advance?
Yes. Make it up to two days ahead, refrigerate, then reheat in the slow cooker on low for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. It won’t be quite as silky as fresh, but it’s close enough that nobody notices once they start eating.
What if I don’t have a slow cooker?
Make it on the stovetop in a heavy pot. Brown the meat, drain, then add the cheeses and Rotel. Cook over the lowest heat possible, stirring every few minutes until melted, about 15 minutes total. Keep it on the lowest burner setting to serve, stirring occasionally.
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Wrap Up
This dip disappears fast. The combination of two meats, two cheeses, and spicy tomatoes creates something way more interesting than the ingredient list suggests. Make a double batch if you’re feeding more than six people. Seriously.
Easy 5-Ingredient Football Dip
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Brown the meats together in a large skillet over medium-high, stirring until no pink remains.
- Drain the fat, leaving some for flavor.
- Transfer the meat to the slow cooker, adding cubed Velveeta, cubed cream cheese, and Rotel.
- Cook on low for two hours, stirring after one hour until melted and smooth.
- Adjust consistency if needed and switch the slow cooker to warm once smooth.