Description
Get ready to meet your new favorite party food! This Meaty Texas Trash Dip is the ultimate warm, savory, and incredibly rich appetizer. It features a luscious and tangy base of cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, topped with a hearty layer of seasoned ground beef and finished with a gooey, melted blanket of cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses. It’s a simple, satisfying, and wildly popular dip for any game day, holiday, or casual get-together.
Ingredients
The Savory Foundation
1 lb Ground beef or sausage
1 packet Taco seasoning
0.5 tsp Smoked paprika
The Creamy Base
16 oz Cream cheese, softened
1 cup Sour cream
1 cup Mayonnaise
The Cheese Blend
1.5 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Flavor and Aromatics
10 oz Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
0.5 cup Diced green onions
0.5 cup Diced jalapeños (Optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Meat
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until browned, breaking it into small crumbles. Drain the excess fat thoroughly. Return the skillet to the heat and stir in the taco seasoning and the drained Rotel with green chiles. Cook for one minute more until fragrant, then remove from heat.
Create the Creamy Base
In a separate large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Use a hand mixer on low speed or a sturdy spatula to beat the ingredients together until the mixture is completely smooth, creamy, and well-combined.
Layer the Dip
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish or a similar 2-quart casserole dish. Next, spoon the seasoned ground beef mixture over the creamy base, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses all over the top, making sure to cover it from edge to edge.
Bake to Perfection
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the dip for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edges are hot and bubbling. Let the dip rest for at least five minutes before serving; this allows the layers to set and makes scooping easier.
Notes
Room Temperature is Crucial:
For the smoothest, non-greasy dip, ensure your cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise are all at room temperature before mixing them together.
Drain Ingredients Well:
To prevent a watery dip, be sure to drain the excess grease from the cooked beef and the liquid from the can of Rotel tomatoes very thoroughly.
Shred Your Own Cheese:
For the ultimate gooey cheese pull, shred blocks of cheddar and Pepper Jack yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can prevent a perfectly smooth melt.
Check Your Seasoning:
Taco seasonings vary in salt content. Taste the meat mixture before adding any extra salt. If using a pre-seasoned sausage, you may want to use less taco seasoning.
Gluten-Free Option:
To ensure this recipe is gluten-free, use a brand of taco seasoning that is certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 515 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 84 mg
Keywords: Texas trash dip, party dip, beef dip, cheese dip, hot mayonnaise dip, appetizer, easy dip, layered dip, Rotel dip, game day food