Slow cooker sausage dip is a small pot of comfort food: browned sausage, melted cheese, and tomatoes with green chilies, all ready for a sturdy tortilla chip. The ingredients are simple, but a few details matter. Brown and drain the sausage first, cut the cheese into cubes, and keep the liquid from the tomatoes.
Once everything is in the crock, the slow cooker handles the melting. You can use LOW for a longer cooking window or HIGH when you need the dip sooner. Either way, stir as it cooks and let the texture tell you when it is ready.
Three ingredients with specific package sizes
Sausage: Use 1 pound of pork breakfast sausage or mild Italian sausage with the casings removed. The seasoning already in the sausage gives the dip much of its flavor. Buy the style you prefer, then break it into small crumbles as it cooks.
Melting cheese: You need 1 pound, or 16 ounces, of processed melting cheese such as Velveeta. Check the weight on the package before cutting it up. A larger block contains more cheese than this recipe calls for; measure out the one-pound portion.
Tomatoes with green chilies: Use one 10-ounce can, undrained. The tomatoes and small chile pieces belong in the dip, and so does their liquid. The recipe is written for that can size and its juice.
Two quick jobs before the lid goes on
Brown the sausage and drain the grease
Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon until browned and fully cooked, about 7–10 minutes. Aim for crumbles that will fit comfortably on a chip. Turn over any larger pieces and break them apart so they cook through.
Drain off the excess grease before transferring the sausage. This is a small step with a noticeable effect: you want the sausage mixed into the cheese, without a layer of fat collecting on the surface of the finished dip.
Cut the cheese into roughly one-inch cubes
While you get the other ingredients ready, cut the melting cheese into cubes about 1 inch across. The pieces do not need to be perfectly square. Keeping them similar in size makes it easier to stir the dip as they soften and melt.
Use a small slow cooker with a capacity of 2–4 quarts. Lightly coat the crock with nonstick cooking spray, then put the cheese cubes in the bottom. The photos show a compact cooker; the ingredients will sit in a fairly shallow layer rather than filling the crock to the rim.
Add the sausage, then all of the tomatoes
Spoon the browned, drained sausage over the cheese cubes. Spread the crumbles across the crock instead of leaving them in one pile, so they are easy to mix through the cheese during the first stir.
Pour the entire can of diced tomatoes with green chilies over the sausage and cheese. Scrape in the juice as well as the tomato pieces. Put the lid on the cooker once all three ingredients are in place.
Choose LOW or HIGH
| Setting | Cooking time | Stirring |
|---|---|---|
| LOW | 1½–2 hours | Every 30 minutes |
| HIGH | About 1 hour | Every 30 minutes |
These are the slow cooker times, after the sausage has been cooked on the stove. The recipe card uses a 15-minute preparation estimate, including browning, plus the longer two-hour LOW cooking time. That puts the listed total at about 2 hours 15 minutes. The HIGH option has a shorter cooking window.
At each stir, work gently around the sides and across the bottom of the crock. Early on, you may still see softened cheese cubes in the mixture. Replace the lid and continue cooking until the cheese is fully melted and the dip is hot throughout.
Finish with a thorough stir
When the cheese has melted, stir until the sausage, tomatoes, and chilies are evenly distributed. The finished dip should have a creamy cheese base with small sausage crumbles and visible tomato pieces. There should be no firm cheese cubes left.
Switch the cooker to WARM for serving once the dip is finished. Keep a serving spoon nearby so you can give it another stir and scoop portions into small bowls. The dip is easiest to serve while the cheese is warm and fluid.
Put sturdy dippers beside the crock
Tortilla chips are a useful match for the chunky filling. Choose chips that can carry a little sausage and tomato along with the cheese. Crackers are another serving option. Keep the dippers beside the cooker so people can add them to their own plates.
About 12 small appetizer portions is a reasonable serving estimate for this batch. Portion sizes vary, especially if the dip is the main snack rather than one of several appetizers. The serving count in the card is an estimate, not a measured cup yield.
A few sausage dip questions
Should I drain the tomatoes?
Keep them undrained. Add the full contents of the 10-ounce can, including the liquid. Draining the sausage and keeping the tomato juice are two separate parts of the method.
Does the sausage go into the cooker raw?
For this recipe, cook it fully in the skillet first and drain the grease. The slow cooker stage melts the cheese and brings the prepared ingredients together.
What if there are still cheese cubes after the first stir?
That is normal while the dip is melting. Stir gently, cover again, and continue within the cooking window. Finish when the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is hot, rather than serving it at the first sign of softening.
Slow cooker sausage dip recipe
Slow Cooker Sausage Dip
Equipment
- 2–4-quart slow cooker
- Large skillet
- Cooking spoon
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork breakfast sausage or mild Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 pound processed melting cheese such as Velveeta; cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies 10-ounce size, undrained
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned and fully cooked, about 7–10 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Cut the 1-pound portion of processed melting cheese into roughly 1-inch cubes.
- Lightly coat the inside of a small 2–4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Put the cheese cubes in the bottom of the crock.
- Spoon the browned, drained sausage evenly over the cheese cubes.
- Pour the entire 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilies over the cheese and sausage, including all of the liquid.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 1½–2 hours, or on HIGH for about 1 hour. Stir every 30 minutes, working around the sides and across the bottom. Continue until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is hot throughout.
- Stir thoroughly to distribute the sausage, tomatoes, and chilies through the melted cheese. The dip should be creamy with no firm cheese cubes remaining. Switch the slow cooker to WARM for serving.
- Serve the warm dip with sturdy tortilla chips or your preferred dippers. Use a serving spoon to transfer portions to small bowls or plates.
Notes
Another warm appetizer for the table
For a bite-sized option with tortilla scoops, try Iowa Party Bites. If you want a pastry appetizer alongside the dip, Crescent Brie Bites use just three ingredients.