If you’re planning on hosting a cheese dip party, then you’ve come to the right place! Here you’ll find three gooey cheese dip recipes, ideas for variations, and tips to put together a flavor-packed cheese dip party!
Chocolate and cheese are the reasons I could never give up dairy. I love a good melted cheese stretch, like most everyone. I remember wanting extra cheese on my pizza as a kid JUST so that I got that wonderful cheese stretch I always saw on TV. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside whenever I see a gooey melted cheese stretch! 🙂
With my birthday and game day just around the corner, I couldn’t resist the urge to throw myself a cheese party followed by a glorious chocolate cake of course. I made it extra special with three kinds of cheese dips AND some goodies to dip in them too. These cheese dips are so easy to make, and I’m also going to share with you guys a few other flavor combos so that you can switch up the flavors and create exciting cheese dips that you’ll love.
Here I’ve got the classic Jalapeño Popper Cheese Dip (plus variations).
Also, the Cheesy Beef Enchilada Dip (for all the Tex-Mex fans in your life!).
And, my personal favorite, Bacon and Apple Gouda Dip (you may very well need to make an extra-large batch of this!).
I paired these cheese dips with garlic bread crostini, cheesy French onion pies, chicken wings, and the usual suspects like crudités and chips. You can mix and match however you like for your party spread. The more the merrier, of course.
Planning the cheese dip party
I’m a big planner. I’m a ‘make lists so I know just what to get’ type of gal.
The cheese is the undeniable star, so I needed a great-tasting, quality product. That’s exactly what I got with Borden® Cheese Shreds. I bought plenty for the party and then some. You can also use Borden® Cheese Chunks (cheese blocks) and shred them yourself, or buy pre-shredded for convenience. Just make sure to get all the cheese varieties you and your party guests will love!
I got my Borden® Cheese from Shop n Save, in the refrigerated dairy section, and you can use this store locator to find a store near you that sells Borden® Cheese.
So on the day before…
I made mini cheesy French onion pies and stored them in the freezer. You can do this a few days ahead too, as they are super freezer-friendly.
I cook the bacon (remember to cook extra!), puree the jalapeño, and prep the chicken wings and the beef enchilada base. Store them all in containers and in the fridge, and they will be ready to be used the following day.
You can even prepare the bases for all the cheese dips and leave them in the fridge, too. Then all you have to do on the day of the party is to top them off with a handful more of shredded cheese and bake until gooey and melted.
Here’s a GIF on how the 3 cheese dip recipes are prepped for the party. The cheese is added just before they are baked.
Creamy Jalapeño Popper Dip
Cheesy Beef Enchilada Dip
Apple Bacon and Gouda Cheese Dip
On the day of the party…
Take the chicken wings out from the fridge (you need to let those bad boys warm up to room temp.).
Bake the garlic crostinis and keep them in an airtight container till you need them.
Bake the chicken wings until they are nice and crisp. They can be tossed in any kind of wing sauce you like just before serving.
Bake the French onion pies. They can be warmed up prior to serving in the oven, as well.
These cheese dips are SO EASY to make. Once you have all the additions cooked and prepped, it’s just matter of putting it all together and then melting them in the oven. I added cream cheese, because it adds a delicious creamy quality, along with the flavors of Borden® Cheese. If you prepped the cheese dips the day before, then all you have to do is sprinkle extra cheese on top and melt the dips in the oven.
I used 6.5 inch cast iron pans for this post, but you can use 8 inch pans too – just make sure to double the recipe. These three cheese dips were plenty for my crowd, and you can easily whip up more if needed because they are so easy. Rather than having one large dip, this keeps things fun and varied. Another reason I like to use cast iron pans is that they retain the heat and keep the cheese dips warm and gooey for longer. Plus, if you need to heat them up, just leave them in the oven for a few minutes (or stove-top on medium heat).
Jalapeño Popper Cheese Dip
A creamy jalapeño flavored cheese dip topped with Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds and Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds. The jalapeño is pureed and mixed with cream cheese and Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds and Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds and then topped with some more cheese and melted. I added bacon to mine, but skip this and this dip will be an EXCELLENT vegetarian option for your party!
Variations – you can add bacon or caramelized onions in this dip to make it even more flavorful. You can also substitute pureed jalapeño with green chile or roasted peppers for a different flavor profile.
Cheesy Beef Enchilada Dip
Another creamy, flavor-packed cheese dip that’s always a crowd favorite. Hearty, delicious and meaty beef and enchilada sauce paired with Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds.
Variations – use any kind of ground meat you like in place of beef, and substitute red enchilada sauce with salsa verde enchilada sauce OR use your favorite chili recipe instead of beef enchilada. You can even use finely chopped mushroom instead of beef to make this dip vegetarian, too.
Apple Bacon and Gouda Dip
Apple, bacon and gouda are a match made in heaven. Apple cider mixed with cream cheese, bacon and Borden® Cheese Gouda Shreds, and it’s easily my personal favorite. The unique flavor combo here will leave your guests wanting more. Fruity and savory (and spicy) with plenty of cheesy goodness.
Here are some of my favorite snacks and treats to dip in these flavor-packed cheese dips
- Garlic breadsticks / crostinis
- Baby carrots, steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets
- Mushrooms
- Corn chips, potato chips
- French fries
- Charred chili or peppers
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Three Easy Cheese Dips
Ingredients:
Jalapeño Popper Dip
- 4 jalapeños
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds
- ½ cup Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds
- Generous pinch of salt
- More cheddar and mozzarella to top about another ¼ cup each
- Cooked and chopped bacon optional
- Sliced jalapenos to top
Beef Enchilada Dip
- 4 oz ground beef
- ¼ onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ cup red enchilada sauce homemade or canned is fine
- ⅓ cup of Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds
- ½ cup of Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds to top
- Lime wedges cilantro and chopped tomato to top
Apple Bacon and Gouda Cheese Dip
- ½ cup apple cider not vinegar, (OR fresh apple juice is also fine)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup of cooked and chopped bacon about 8 oz of uncooked bacon
- ½ cup Borden® Cheese Gouda Shreds
- Plus extra ½ cup Borden® Cheese Gouda Shreds to top
- Parsley to top
Instructions:
Jalapeño Popper Dip
- Puree the Jalapeños with about 3 - 4 tbsp water (you should end up with about ¾ cup of pureed jalapeños).
- Mix ½ cup of the pureed jalapenos with the cream cheese, and the first measure of Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds and Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds. Add the salt. Mix really well until well combined.
- Spread this mix evenly in a 6.5 inch cast iron pan. At this stage the cast iron pan can be covered and stored in the fridge until you are ready to melt it in the oven (up to 24 hours).
- When you’re ready to melt the cheese dip, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Sprinkle the extra Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds and Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds and bacon on top. Cover the cheese dip with a tented foil. Bake the cheese dip for 10 - 15 minutes until it’s completely melted. Remove foil and let the surface caramelize for a few minutes (up to 5 minutes). Remove from the oven carefully and serve.
- Top with chopped jalapeños and more bacon.
Beef Enchilada Dip
- In a non-stick pan, heat a little oil on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion and saute until softened.
- Add the beef and cook until the ground beef is separated and cooked.
- Add the enchilada sauce and mix through. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.
- Season to taste. The beef mix can be stored until needed or immediately used for the dip.
- When you’re ready to make the dip, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add the first measure of Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds and mix through with the beef enchilada base. Place this mix in a 6.5 inch cast iron pan. Top with the extra ½ cup of Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds.
- Cover the cheese dip with a tented foil. Bake the cheese dip for 10 - 15 minutes until it’s completely melted. Remove foil and let the surface caramelize for a few minutes (up to 5 minutes). Remove from the oven carefully and serve.
- Top with chopped tomatoes, cilantro and lime wedges.
Apple Bacon and Gouda Cheese Dip
- Mix the apple cider or juice with the cream cheese, bacon and first measure of Borden® Cheese Gouda Shreds (leave a little bacon aside to top the cheese dip later). Spread this mix evenly in a 6.5 inch cast iron pan. At this stage the cast iron pan can be covered and stored in the fridge, until you are ready to melt it in the oven (up to 24 hours).
- When you’re ready to make the dips, preheat oven to 400° F.
- Top the dip with the rest of the ½ cup Borden® Cheese Gouda Shreds and the bacon that was left aside.
- Cover the cheese dip with a tented foil. Bake the cheese dip for 10 - 15 minutes until it’s completely melted. Remove foil and let the surface caramelize for a few minutes (up to 5 minutes). Remove from the oven carefully and serve.
- Top with some chopped parsley.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these dips with crudites, garlic bread, breadsticks, and potato and corn chips.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Throwing a cheese dip party is so easy. That moment the melted cheese stretches as you dip your food into it, will make ALL your guests insanely happy and love you that much more!
Just make sure you have something for everyone, like some vegetarian options as well. Carrot sticks and steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower) are a great addition for people who cannot resist the cheesy goodness but prefer not to eat chips and dips – plus these are great allergen free dippers.
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
With all your gooey cheesy deliciousness and creamy drinks and ice creams how are you not being sponsored by the dairy lobby? We need to look into this 😉
Michelle says
I am such a fan of cheese dips. I could totally go for a party that feature just these. Yum! #client