Easy Baked Bacon Cheese Chile Dip
When you’re craving something warm and cheesy, a little bit spicy and with the porky flavor of bacon, you’re craving this Hatch Chile Dip. It’s a hot from the oven bacon cheese dip augmented with a spicy Hatch chile sauce. Serve crispy corn tortilla chips with the Southwestern dip, kick back and watch the game.
This warm chile dip came from necessity. A persistent craving for a warm, cheesy, indulgent dip on a cold day and a surplus of my homemade Hatch chile sauce.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Southwestern bacon cheese chile dip
- Bacon
- Butter
- Flour
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Milk
- Hatch Chile Sauce (or green chile salsa)
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Cilantro
I use my homemade Hatch chile sauce to make this cheesy dip. It’s spicy with a little sweet and is a great everyday sauce over chicken, pork and beef. We love it on tacos and even our morning eggs.
I encourage you to try it, but if you want to make this Southwestern dip RIGHT NOW, use a jar of green chile salsa (preferably Hatch chile salsa – we like the one from Trader Joe’s).
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Warm chile dip starts w/ a béchamel
This hearty, rich Southwestern style dip starts with a simple béchamel sauce. Sounds fancy, but it’s not.
Béchamel is the basis for most creamy milk and cheese based sauces.
I’m willing to bet that even if you’ve never “heard of it” before, you’ve probably made more than one in your lifetime.
Color palate
Before we go farther, let’s talk about the color.
I’ll be the first to admit that the dull grey-green hue that comes from blending a creamy white sauce with green salsa isn’t exactly mouthwatering. I know.
But the taste is spot on. Spicy, cheesy with smoky bits of bacon in a warm, tongue coating bite. No, it’s not pretty to look at. Close your eyes. The prize is inside.
How to make cheesy Southwestern dip
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Whisk in flour, salt, pepper and onion powder until you have a bubbly paste and no dry ingredients remain.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil and stir for one minute until it thickens.
- Whisk in the Hatch chile sauce and cilantro to blend.
- Add the cubes of Monterey Jack and all but two tablespoons of crisped bacon. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to a casserole dish, top with extra cheese and bake.
Wait a few minutes before diving in
I know it seems like a cruel joke, but you’ll probably want to give the cheesy bacon chile dip a few minutes to rest before digging in.
Why? It’s HOT. Not molten lava hot, but definitely in the burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth vicinity.
Quick and easy to make
You’ll love this hearty dip because it only takes about 15 minutes of hands on work. The rest of the time is spent warming it in the oven.
We love the creamy unctuousness of this Southwestern dip, especially with crispy corn tortilla chips. while it’s still warm from the oven.
Southwestern chile dip FAQ’s
Yes! You can make it up to 2-3 days ahead. When you’re ready to serve, just bake it in the oven until hot and bubbly and serve with tortilla chips.
Yes. I purposely make a small batches of bacon cheese dip, because there’s only two of us in our house (empty nest). But if you’ve got a bigger crowd, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
There won’t be leftovers. Even if there were, I wouldn’t recommend freezing. Keep leftovers in the fridge and rewarm in the microwave. We’ve never had a leftovers issue.
Sure. You can use cheddar, cheddar jack, gouda or even smoked gouda. Avoid Italian cheeses like provolone or mozzarella.
Yes. You can use chopped, drained chiles from a can or if you have whole poblanos, jalapeños or other fresh chiles, roast them over an open flame (stovetop or grill) until blackened. Then peel off the skins, remove the seeds and chop them.
More easy dips you might enjoy:
- Smoky Eggplant Dip
- Florida Style Smoked Whitefish Dip
- Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Hummus with Basil Oil and Cilantro
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Bacon Hatch Chile Dip
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 strips cooked crispy thick cut bacon crumbled
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup hatch chile sauce
- 5 ounces monterey jack cheese divided
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped plus extra for garnish.
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 2 cup oven proof casserole dish with vegetable spray and set aside.
- Cut 4 ounces of the cheese into small 1/4" cubes and set aside. Grate the remaining 1 ounce of cheese and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the flour, salt, pepper and onion powder and whisk, stirring constantly to blend. Cook for one minute until fragrant and bubbly.
- Add the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly until it's completely incorporated and continue whisking until the bechamel sauce comes to a boil. Cook for one minute, until the sauce is thickened and remove from heat.
- Stir in the hatch chile sauce, chopped cilantro, cubes of monterey jack and all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake and top with the remaining grated cheese and bacon crumbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until oozy and bubbly.
- Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top for garnish and serve with corn tortilla chips.
NUTRITION:
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so yummy – i’ve never made a dip with a bechamel – so good!
This cheesy dip would be perfect for the Super Bowl! Definitely making it next weekend!
Yum! The flavors in this dip sound incredible, especially with the béchamel and the crispy bacon. Definitely perfect for game day.
I love everything about this flavorful dip! The bacon, the cheese, the creaminess. This recipe’s a keeper!
This is a perfect game day gift! Can’t go wrong with bacon, cheese and Chile’s.