My Easy Cheeseburger Dip Will Be the First to Disappear

I’ve been married for over fifteen years and my wife tries everything I cook. While she loves all the appetizers I make, especially for game day, she is still partial to the classic Velveeta dip. But every once in a while I try to surprise her with a gussied-up version, and this cheeseburger dip was a welcome change. 

Originally, I thought the dip might end up being too heavy (and it is decadent), but the crunchy and bright toppings give it a nice balance. Turns out, pickles and cheese dip go together perfectly. If you’re looking for a fun dip to try for the big game, add this one to the list!

Key Ingredients

This dip is intended to be simple and includes only easy-to-find ingredients.

• Lean ground beef: You can use ground beef with a higher fat percentage if you want, but make sure to spoon off extra fat after the beef has cooked. 
• Velveeta: Look: I love all cheeses, but for dips like this, Velveeta is ideal. It melts wonderfully and reheats well without curdling. 
• Milk: Adding a little milk to this dip helps the Velveeta melt better. 
• Spices: I keep the spices simple for this with a mix of garlic powder and seasoned salt. 
• Fresh toppings: I like to use diced tomato, red onion, and dill pickles to give the dip a bright and crunchy contrast. My favorite pickles are Grillo’s hot pickles, but you can use your favorite pickle instead. 
• Bacon bits: Don’t bother cooking up a fresh batch of bacon for this dip. Bacon bits work perfectly and won’t make the dip greasy. 

Tips for Making This Dip

This is a very simple recipe to make but there are a few tips to make it the best possible cheeseburger dip.

• Drain the Beef: If there is any fat in the skillet after you cook the beef, spoon it off. You don’t need extra grease in this dip. 
• Control the heat: If you try to melt the Velveeta at a higher temperature, it will burn. Keep your heat low. Because it’s hard to heat the dip evenly on the stovetop, this recipe is finished in the oven to keep the cheese smooth and perfectly melted. 
• Toppings are key: The toppings make this dip. Make sure you go heavy on them! 

How To Keep This Dip Warm in a Slow Cooker

If you are serving this dip for a long game and want to keep it warm, you can transfer it to a small slow cooker rather than the oven and keep it warm over low heat. I recommend spooning individual servings of the dip into bowls and then adding toppings. 

Easy Swaps

For a vegetarian version, cook an Impossible burger, breaking it up into fine crumbles, and use it in the dip instead of ground beef.

For a flavor mix-up, brown a pound of chicken instead of beef and add a can of drained diced green chiles to the skillet along with the cheese to make a chili chicken dip.