Today, I have written a very heart felt letter to my friend, Velveeta. I hope you don’t mind that I shared it. It’s rather personal, so I hope no one feels embarrassed to read my inner-most thoughts. I’m sure that my friend Velveeta is a friend to some of you too. Truly, if I would have had a daughter, I would have named her Velveeta in honor of my friend.
Okay, totally not really. But still.
Dear Velveeta,
I dearly love you. I grew up eating you and some days, I really miss you. I often visit you in the store, just in case you miss me too. Have you seen me there, lingering by your shelves?
What exactly are you made of anyway? Wait – don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. Reading your label makes me queasy, but when I mix you with a can of rotel, I could gladly grab a bag of chips and eat half the bowl. You are delicious. You are comfort food. You are memories from my childhood. And for goodness sakes you taste incredible alongside a cold glass of Pepsi.
But you are “processed cheese food”. What in the world does that mean? No wait – really – don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. I just want to eat you in ignorance so that I won’t know the full effects of what something such as you can do to the insides of my body.
But alas, since my family began Our Healthy Eating Journey a few years ago, I chose to give you up. I have a new friend now that has a striking resemblance to you, but one that doesn’t make me feel so sick inside.
Those were some good times we had together – you, me and the Pepsi. Please know that I’ll hold the memory of you forever in my heart.
Insanely Yours,
Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers
Well, now you know. Velveeta-Rotel chip dip and I go way back. I miss her. I love her. But there’s a new kid in town, one that is made from real food that I can trust not to turn my gut wrong-side-out. I’ve been tinkering with this dish for the past couple of years and my family loves it! It’s not quite as thick as the Velveeta-Rotel dip, but I would imagine that the ingredients that make that one thick are ingredients you and I don’t know how to pronounce. Just lean over the bowl when you eat this. A little dip running down the chin never hurt anyone.
Don’t leave me hanging. I must know if you are friends with Velveeta too. Do you love her with Rotel? And tell me, is Velveeta a lovely name, or what?
Again, totally not really.
- 1 pound ground hamburger meat (seasoned with Homemade Taco Seasoning if you like!)
- 2 cups salsa
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Organic Corn Chips
- Brown hamburger meat and season if desired. Stir salsa and cream into the meat, stirring constantly while heating on medium heat for about three minutes. Remove mixture from heat and add shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Serve with Organic Corn Chips. (You can stir in ½ cup sour cream or 3 ounces cream cheese if you'd like.)
I LOVE this post! Hilarious! I too love Velveeta dip (we usually make ours with salsa, milk, and a bit of sour cream) with pepsi. YUM! However, only for nachos–for all other things it totally grosses me out. Random!
Your healthier version seems so much better!
Oh yes, Velveeta and I were good friends. Along with her sister American Cheese Slice. She made such a good grilled cheese. Espcially when their cousin tagged along cambells tomato soup. Those were the days. I’m excited to try this dip! Looks delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Totally going to try this out for my daughter’s birthday party next weekend. Thank you. And I’m sure my husband will thank you as well, for he loves Velveeta and her friend Rotel even more than I.
I used to eat Velveeta and Rotel and chips for dinner regularly… so this is one of my MOST FAVORITE posts EVER!
Totally going to make this dip tomorrow (I even have ground beef in the fridge just WAITING to be turned into this!)
I am sooooo going to try this! Before I do, have you tried thickening it with corn starch or the likes?
I’ve not tried thickening it – I feel like adding corn starch would change the taste and texture too much.
I’ve thickened other cheese sauces with arrowroot powder, and it worked well for me!
There are just those moments when I have this OH VELVEETA/SALSA sounds so good! Now I have an alternative!!!! Thank you!!!!!
I’m with ya…used to love that wonderful cheese dip! Totally grew up with Velvetta and Rotel! Although, my mom would made homemade tortilla chips to go with it! Yum! Does cream cheese make it a little thicker and smoother?
Yes, actually, the cream cheese does thicken it just a little bit!
Try using agar agar to thicken – less calories, and totally natural.
Where do you find agar agar? I saw another recipe lately that called for it but I had never heard of it before..
You can usually find agar agar at a Health Food Store.
Thank you for posting this, I have one child that loves the stuff. In fact, she went through a not-eating phase a while back that was difficult for me, so I began hiding pureed vegetables in her food and I would make her a dip with American cheese slices, milk and carrots.
I do have a question though – where do you get your cheese or what kind do you use? I tried your baked potato and cheese sauce recipe the other day and was almost in tears because the cheese would NOT melt. I never did have cheese sauce. I’m sure you aren’t using pre-shredded Kraft, like I was. :)
I use raw white cheddar cheese that I get from my health food co-op, Azure Standard. If you’re getting cheese from the store, try just getting a block of cheese, which will melt easier than the pre-shredded. Pre-shredded has stuff (corn starch I think) added to the package to keep it from clumping together in the package, which changes how it reacts in recipes.
Thank you for that tip about shredding it yourself, instead of buying it shredded already.
Thank you!
This makes so much sense! I noticed when I started shredding my own cheese that it melted so much better. Thanks for the tip!
They are using potato starch now instead of cornstarch. My daughter is allergic to potatoes and this caused her lots of problems in the college dining hall this year. Now she is home and I can get some healthy food in her!
Just wanted to let you know that pre-shredded cheese usually also has an “anti-fungal” agent added (commonly natamycin).
Just do not use the ‘cheese substitute’ ( think required by law to be on the package front) for anything like dip… it is too ‘plastic’ to melt properly.
Sounds yummy! Love the letter and your site. Probably a silly question but I am fairly new to this feeding my family healthier journey. Your site is full of helpful and useful information plus a joy to read. My question: Is there a reason for using salsa rather than rotel? Thank you! Alice
Rotel is a little bit runnier. Since salsa is thicker, it works better for this dip. :)
Glad I am not the only one with a secret love for velveeta.
Oh wow… just ran into the kitchen to make this as a late night snack, since we missed dinner (in tornado territory N. Alabama and did not want to go get supplies for dinner) oh man, this is such a great substitute for my dear love velveeta which is sooo bad for me! Thank you !!!!!
Laura! Sometimes I think you READ MY MIND!!! My daughter was digging around in the “closet-we-shall-not-speak-of” the day before yesterday and pulled out my 2-quart crock pot. (This is also known as “the rotel dip warmer” as that is the ONLY thing I ever used it for!)I had stuffed it way in the back in order to avoid the overwhelming sadness caused by seeing it…and remembering the spicy, creamy, deliciousness :( It occurred to me that I should try to find a homemade, natural alternative. The idea of ANOTHER thing to replace…*sigh*…it gets overwhelming sometimes! Once again, you’ve saved me all the work by the sheer power of your awesomeness. THANK YOU for posting this! The timing is uncanny :)
I don’t know what Rotel is, but I grew up with some tasty Velveeta dip and I’m bookmarking this new one. Ours always had refried beans in them too, which would probably work in this version as well. Thanks for doing the experimentation for us!
Rotel is just tomatoes whit chili peppers in it… there;s usually a store brand that is very similar and much cheaper (e.g. Best Value’… ‘Best Choice’…).
I certainly loved Velveeta back in the day. I miss her too! Our dip did not involve Rotel, just a big block of Velveeta, 3 cans of enchilada sauce and 1 pound of browned hamburger in the crock pot. Talk about comfort food from childhood! My sister and niece were visiting recently and my niece requested it (I used to make it all the time). I did break down and make it for her, but I tell ya, it doesn’t taste as good anymore, and the leftovers after refrigeration are disgusting! My husband went to the store for me, and here was that ingredient line on the list: Velveeta :( He laughed. Can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
can you do this without the meat and make nachos?
Yes, you can do this without the meat. I find that the meat gives this dip more “bulk”, so if you were to just pour it over chips, it may be a little soggy. Tasty though!
What other meats are good for this recipe. We do not eat beef(religious reasons)) but we eat poultry like chicken and turkey. We also eat lamb/goat.
I was hoping you will suggest what is the alternate meat other than beef to do this recipe.
Thanks :)
You can use ground turkey or ground chicken for this. You could even use cooked, shredded chicken!
Mmmm. Rotel is my favorite holiday food. We had it during holiday weekends growing up. Now, its a once per year treat. Except when I was pregnant. It was more like once per month! Can’t wait to try this version. Do you think it would work without the beef?
Yes, you can do this without the meat. I find that the meat gives this dip more “bulk”.
you are SO FUNNY! as always, loved this post and am excited about this recipe. growing up in the South, velveeta and rotel were a constant “appetizer” served at nearly all church fellowships and family gatherings. now if i get the insane urge for it, i know where to turn – you ROCK! thanks so much for another great recipe!! :) kel
I’ve never had Velveeta or Rotel. We usually put cream cheese in a pie pan, top with bean chili and cheddar or colby. Bake until melty and eat it.
We also had Velveeta and Rotel a lot growing up! And now I am so disgusted by Velveeta. (Anyone remember Cheez Whiz? YUCK!) I am definitely going to try your recipe. Another Velveeta dip my sister always made had hamburger, onion, salsa, and broccoli. Sounds gross but it was delicious. I think I’ll experiment with that one, too! Thanks so much!!
Love your post, definitely relate to your past love of velveeta. Can’t get it here in Thailand, unless you want to pay out the wazoo for it, but I have cravings for the dip often. I would love to try this!
yumbo! can’t wait to try this. Hopefully it’s as good without the meat! I didn’t grow up with Velveeta/rotelle, but sure learned to love it as an adult. Luckiiy, my kids haven’t really been exposed to ignite the passion. I’m looking forward to trying this soon!
Maybe when you’re browning the meat you could sprinkle a bit of flour on it–making a bit of a roux–before adding the other ingredients.
You musn’t forget her cousin–CHEEZWhIZ! Ah-the memories of cheezwhiz or a slice of velveeta on wonderbread…sigh.
My name is Sonja, and twice a year, we eat velveeta…
Whew, that was tough! Usually we are a natural cheese family, buying trimmings and ends from Organic Valley, but that source has gone away recently so we are regular cheddar for now. I can’t stand the thought of cheezwhiz though, isn’t that weird? Thanks so much for the recipe Laura, the V word will no longer be in our vocabulary!
I have never used Velvetta much, but American cheese can fall into the same catagory. When my kids were little we were on WIC and American Cheese was not allowed as it does not contain enough milk to meet the USDA standard, so we used cheddar, jack, motzaerlla, colby, etc. And we ate a lot of cheese. Now that my kids are teens and college age, they will not touch American cheese and related products. What a habit I created. Now I do purchase sliced American cheese occationally for grilled cheese sandwiches, but that is it.
Oh my goodness, this cracked me up! I am the same way…I LOVE LOVE LOVE velveeta. But, when I started to realize it was a cheese “product” that the grocery didn’t even keep in the refrigerator section, I decided it probably wasn’t good for us. We love the dip with velveeta and hormel chili…yes, both wonderful things for you. I’m going to try this because I miss velveeta too! But, your site has helped me kick the habit with your mac and cheese recipe! Loved this post!
In the part of the south where I live, Velveeta would be an acceptable girl’s name and would surprise no one!
Yes Velveeta and I go way back! She was a dear friend in college and many late nights she stayed up with me to study! I do miss her but sadly ours was a friendship that could not last.
oh, yes! i love me some cheese dip… velveeta has been banned for several years in this house. but never thought of making an alternative! great idea!
Ahhh, the love of velvetta. I just bought some the other day, because I had a coupon. I was thinking of looking at the ingredients but turned my head and put it in my cart. The love of velveeta is so strong. Thanks for posting this, I needed the boost to the healthy side.
Excuse my ignorance here, but I’m assuming Velveeta and Kraft American cheese are very similar in nature. While I haven’t bought Velveeta in a while, we do have some of the other in the house. At one time, I was going to clean it out of our refrigerator because it was “manufactured cheese product”. After inspecting the ingredient list, I found the ingredients were not that much different from cheddar or mozzarella. What exactly is the problem with american cheese?
Thanks!
Yes, American cheese is very similar to Velveeta. I avoid it because there is quite a bit of oil added to it, making it less of a cheese and less healthy. I’m not sure which oil is added to it, but I’m guessing vegetable oil, which I try to avoid.
My mom makes a “healthy” version – she combines the Mexican version of Velveeta with frozen broccoli! ;) I must admit, I do have a few bites when she just has to make it, and we are there.
From time to time I do break down and buy the store brand version of Velveeta. But I skip the Rotel and make my own sinus-clearing salsa.
When I was growing up, my mom kept Velveeta in the pantry, but I never saw her use it. Turns out it’s the secret ingredient to her famous broccoli and cheese casserole. I’ve banned Velveeta from our house (except once during pregnancy when I had an overwhelming craving), but I still eat several servings of her casserole whenever I’m home for the holidays.
The base is just Velveeta, broccoli, and butter. Do you think mixing up cheese and cream would be a good substitute for the Velveeta? I sure hope so, because this casserole is so good!
Yes, I bet that mixture would work well in the casserole!!
Sometimes in casseroles I make a white sauce and add shredded cheese to it. I use this instead of velveeta.
On another note, I wish you had come out with this last week! My work is having a Cinco de Mayo party, and I would have loved to have brought this dip!
You have officially captured my heart! That Velveeta dip is the ONE thing I have struggled with for years! I’ve made all of our family favorites healthier, but couldn’t find a solution for this one. YOU DID IT! :o)
Great job! And,….sorry Velveeta, our friendship must end.
Your letter to Velveeta cracked me up! I love your wacky sense of humor! The dip sounds good, I think I’m going to try it tonight for Cinco de Mayo.
Queso w/ Velveeta is a staple at any of my husband’s family get-togethers. In an attempt to make it a bit healthier I made a roux with butter and flour and then added cream and shredded cheese and added a can of rotel. It was fantastic!! The only problem is it’s not as cheap as Velveeta.
To make this even better I can my own Rotel! That way I can adjust the heat for everyone’s taste. Great idea as usual, Laura!
I would LOVE to have your rotel recipe, if you wanna share it!!!! :)
Here is the recipe I use:
Canned Rotel-Type Tomatoes and Hot peppers. This is based on the
NCHFP recipe linked below.
5 lbs. tomatoes peeled (optional) and coarsely chopped but
do not drain as you need the liquid.
2 lbs. coarsely chopped hot peppers (I use jalapenos and Habanero’s)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup 5% vinegar
2 tsp. canning salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in large non-reactive pan and bring to a
boil. Simmer for 10 mins. Taste and adjust season as needed.
Fill jars leaving 1/2″ headspace and process in BWB for 15 mins.
Yield 4-6 pints.
Options:
peeling the tomatoes is optional
removing the pepper seeds is optional
Some people substitute 1/2 cup bottled lime juice for 1/2 cup of the vinegar and we use cider vinegar rather than white but either is ok. You have to have the acid!
I’m sorry to be complicated on such a simple recipe but do I actually put “cream” in it? Don’t recall seeing something labeled that in the store…
At the store, usually in the area you find the milk, there are cartons labeled “heavy whipping cream”. That’s what I would recommend for this recipe. Does that help answer your question?
I have never been a fan of Velveeta, sorry for all you lovers its gross, I love REAL cheese, so this version sounds very yummy, I will have to give it a try, very funny post, I also dont like a lot of things most people love, pizza for one is ok but I can pass on it. My father raised my two sisters and I alone, and with little money but man could he garden so we had fresh real food, and he was Organic before it was cool, so it was healthy we raised our own beef, pork and chickens, I really miss those days living in town now, I am trying to talk my husband into letting me get 6 chickens our town passed the law last year that you could have them, so far he is not agreeing:}
I will admit – I was never a Velveeta fan. When I was little I thought I hated grilled cheese sandwiches until I finally decided to order one at a restaurant – one that had four kinds of REAL cheese on it. I kept telling my mom how good it was, and how come ours aren’t like that and that’s when I learned the truth. We never ate cheese. We ate “processed cheese food product.” I was the weird kid in our family. I also begged my mom to buy wheat bread. She just always bought the other stuff because that’s what my sisters wanted to eat, and it was so much cheaper. Thank goodness I had the guts to order a grilled cheese that day.
Oh, this made me laugh so hard! WE love that dip too. I only make it for Superbowl….. LOL Now I will have to try this new recipe this weekend. Thanks for all your posts! I am new to your blog, but I am loving it.
my family and I have decided to start making better choices with what goes into our body. I really appreciate your blog and look forward to it each day. I am trying to take baby steps because it is truly overwelming. Thanks again for the great tips… untill today velvetta and i were close buds.=)
LOL!! Oh my :) Your love letter to Velveeta shares my sentiments exactly. I really thought I was the only person who looked lovingly at the things I no longer choose to eat because I can’t read their labels. I have even taken things off the shelf and thought I will treat myself just this once and then put it back knowing better. Anyhoo, thanks for another fabulous recipe. We enjoyed your healthy poptarts this morning (again).
Well, we’ve never been friends. I find the idea of shelf stable cheese disgusting. But thank you for posting this recipe. Sounds good! And I hope it gets you all over Velveeta!
What in the world is Rotel?
Rotel is canned tomatoes with peppers. It’s usually in the aisle right by the Velveeta. Rotel is the name brand, but there are off brands too.
Such a timely post for me! Lost employment has had my family living with my mom for a while, and I had forgotten how my mom considers Velveeta a food group! lol She puts it on EVERYTHING. I broke down last night and had an omelete made with it. How can something so nasty in theory taste so darn good! I will definitely be trying this recipe. Thank you!
Yum!! I’ll have to try making this! My husband loves velveeta mixed with a can of refried beans… his sister-in-law used to make it all the time (still does, actually!). We’ve been making this recipe for a while (we LOVE velveeta, but it is scary to think of the ingredients), and sometimes I’ll add 2 cups of homemade refried beans just for hubby and he is in HEAVEN!
http://www.foodrenegade.com/creamy-mexican-cheese-dip-without-velveeta/
And thank you for posting this, I had no idea what to make for dinner tonight (at the end of the menu plan and haven’t made it to the store yet), but I do have a bag of tortilla chips here, and ground beef thaws pretty quickly! :D
I never had Velveeta until I was a sophomore in college and my roommates made Velveeta with rotel. It was good, but I think Velveeta tastes horrible in other dishes. We luckily never had it as kids because it is pretty expensive compared to real cheese and with 5 kids, my mom had to make most things from scratch to save money. My husband on the other hand LOOOOOVVEEDD “shells and cheese”, that is until I made “real” homemade mac and cheese.
This recipes sounds great!
Yikes, after reading some of the above comments, I had to go look at the bag of shredded “Marble Jack” (Colby/Monterey Jack) in the fridge… the usual cheese ingredients, then “potato starch, starch and cellulose powder to prevent caking, and natamycin (mold inhibitor).” Should I mention the brand??
Yuck, no wonder my eggs tasted chalky this morning! I usually buy shredded cheese at Sam’s Club – I will be double-checking their ingredients. I wish we could afford the better stuff!
Try shredding your own cheese. I’ve been doing it for years!
Not only does it taste SO much better, but it is also better for
you. Do you know what the white dust on the shredded bagged
cheese is?!? It is bits of saw dust. But we won’t see that in the
ingredients!
I think I would like this with half the salsa and it should be thicker also. Love reading all the funny stories of the love for Velvetta.
My mom always made Pimento Cheese with Velveeta…..I love it. I too have looked at Velveeta in the store – even picked it up. But I always put it back.
How can something with such an awesome name be so, so……wrong?
Sadly I love it too…. I am an addict! :) Much try this so we can have a healthlier alternative! Your blog has been so insiring and helpful! Thank you so much!!! :)
Thanks for the recipe. I think I will make it for the next time we have to take food to church. I too loved Velveeta growing up, especially grilled cheese sandwiches!! Hope to make this soon. Thanks again. Sincerely, One Happy Reader :)
we use cream cheese in place of the velveeta and it is awesome!
1lb sausage – cooked
2 pkgs cream cheese
2 cans rotel
throw it all in the crock pot for a few hours and its good to go!
Followed your suggestion on the cream cheese and was very happy with the results! Thanks!
I have tried this minus one can of rotel and baked it for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Delish!
I loved velveeta with rotel growing up and as an adult, but I too can’t make myself buy it knowing how bad it is for me and my family. We love Tillamook cheddar cheese and it makes great grilled cheese (better than Velveeta), but I haven’t tried making the cheese dip with it yet. Thanks for the recipe.
In Christ,
Shawna Cale
Ha ha! That was hilarious! But, if you would look in my fridge, yep, there is Velveeta there… Can’t seem to give the stuff up! We don’t eat it often, but I do like it on a warm zwieback with rhubarb sauce. I don’t however, like the Nacho dip stuff at all. Maybe when I grow up, I will be like you and be able to conquer my addictions! lol
Oh girl…when I was pregnant with my first baby I gained 8lbs in a MONTH because I was addicted to Velveeta and rotel. Glad to have this healthier alternative!
What a great healthy alternative! Thanks. My family will love it. I’m glad that you are always thinking up new recipes! You’ve revived my love for cooking.
I am a big fan of Tillamook cheese, and it fulfills all of my cheese needs except one: macaroni and cheese. Sure it makes a fantastic cheese sauce, but I have never been able to forget about my old favorite- Velveeta and Shells. I can’t seem to come up with anything to compare with Velveeta and sheels. It’s probably been six years or so since I bought my last yellow box…but I still think about it! If anyone has a knock-off recipe for Velveeta and Shells PLEASE share!!
Well, I happen to think this recipe beats all: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/high-five-recipe-creamy-mac-and-cheese
But that’s just me. :)
Yes, the creamy mac and cheese that Laura came up with is awesome!
I’m addicted to her creamy mac and cheese recipe. I make it
once a week! You have to try it.
Yes!! I love Velveeta. Oh, the creamy goodness. My favorite was to make the dip with sausage instead of ground beef. But alas, we try to avoid those unpronounceable ingredients too.
The kids miss it most when we have broccoli.
Rotel and mac ‘n cheese are the toughest things to give up. My Mom always used Velveeta to make mac ‘n cheese, so that’s how it should be made! Does the cheddar in your dip not make it stringy?
It doesn’t get stringy for me IF I make sure I move the mixture off the heat before I add the cheese AND if the cheddar I’m using is not pre-shredded.
I only like grilled cheese with Velveeta. That’s how it was growing up. Even though I can happily switch out the white bread for wheat, and the margarine for butter, I have yet to find anything that melts like Velveeta in a grilled cheese. Mmmmm.
I use real American cheese to make grill cheese and it melts perfect……..
This post is too funny. I love Velveeta cheese too but I just can;t make myself buy it now that I know what it is made of. Glad I’m not the only one :-)
I love Velveeta! I try to not eat it because I really don’t know what it is, but it sure is delicious. Lol! Thank you for this alternative.
I have been wanting to give up Velveeta for years, but the Rotel dip is sooooo good. It is always on the menu for the super bowl party and is such a wonderful Sunday evening I-already-cooked-once-today-here-is-some-dip supper. I have an unopened block in the cabinet right now. That it keeps so long in the cabinet is one reason I want to quit buying it! One last hoorah and I will be trying your new recipe. (Which I wrote directly on an index card, instead of a piece of scrap paper waiting until I try it once. So you see, I have great faith in this recipe!)
My crew loves to dip and velveeta/rotel was their fave. We started doing cream cheese, with shredded cheese on top and a dollop of salsa in the middle and they like it too. Alas, not the same as hot cheese dip though. They try to sneak the velveeta into my buggy sometimes. I am going to try this one out on them.
Where I’m from we call that dip queso. And I used to live for it, and in college, it was a hit at parties. But then I made it for my in-laws (while hubby and I were dating) and they didn’t like it so much, because it was made of Velveeta. I was heartbroken.
Though now I don’t buy Velveeta because of how processed it is. It hasn’t been too hard to give up–my mom made mac’n’cheese with REAL cheese.
This recipe means that I will never have to buy Velveeta again! Thank you!
You are so funny! I just love your letter to Velveeta! Yes. I love the mac and cheese and a diet pepsi but have given that up!
Oh Laura, thank you so much for doing this!!! Velveeta and I used to be close, but I had the same revelation you did, and I haven’t brought Velveeta home with me from the store in a long time :)
I have a home-made Velveeta/Rotel dip that’s similar, but I put in either some cream cheese or sour cream, too. Gives it a little more ‘thickness’ and the sharp cheese flavor. Our household gobbles it up!
Thanks for sharing!!!
We are going to try this tonight. I stopped eating Velvetta as soon as I had heard it was one molecule away from plastic. But oh how I miss it so. Been Velvetta free since 2005.
There is a way to thicken this up a bit. You start by melting 2-3 T. butter in a pan then adding 2-3 T. flour, mix that together. Then adding the rest of the ingredients as you mentioned (maybe cooking it a tad bit longer) it should thicken right up…at least it did for me. The flour and butter thing is called roux and is usually used to thicken soups, etc. But it works great with this too! :)
I made this tonight with slight changes. I sprinkled in some flour over the browned meat. I didn’t have cream so I added 4 oz of cream cheese andruses only 1/2 cup of milk. It was thick and super yummy! My kids and husband loved it! Thanks for the great recipe!
This looks yummy! I never did prefer the meat variety of dip to the meatless. I’m a meatless queso kind of girl ^_^
The one thing I’d miss Velveeta most in, is my mom’s ghetto lasagna (which replaces the Italian cheeses inside of the lasagna with Velveeta). It’s a taste of childhood and I could eat an entire pan (and have on occasion >.>).
Have you tried adding arrowroot powder? Might thicken it up a tad. And I am with you on dear velvetta.
I saw this recipe and it immediately made me think of you and your love of all things Velveeta. And since you’re not one to shy away from making things from scratch, I figured you would love to give it a shot! :)
Homemade American Cheese
Source: http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/recipes/homemade-american-cheese/
1 tablespoon water
1½ teaspoons powdered gelatin
12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon whole milk powder
1 teaspoon salt
? teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1. Line 5-by 4-inch disposable aluminum loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over sides.
2. Place water in small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over top, and let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Pulse cheese, milk powder, salt, and cream of tartar in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses.
3. Meanwhile, bring milk to boil in small saucepan. Off heat, stir in softened gelatin until dissolved, and transfer mixture to 1-cup liquid measuring cup. With processor running, slowly add hot milk mixture to cheese mixture until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.
4. Immediately transfer cheese mixture to prepared pan, pressing to compact. Wrap tightly and chill at least 3 hours, or overnight.
I couldn’t believe it when I read this post this morning! Just yesterday at lunch and friend and I were discussing an alternative to Velveeta because she can’t handle the preservatives etc. in it and she just hadn’t come up w/ an alternative. Your name came up as a possible source!!! Thanks so much for all you do!
Oh WOW! Looks really good!
made for Christmas :) thanks for sharing!
I make a cheese dip that comes out nice and thick by using a roux. I cook up the roux (flour and butter), add a bit of milk and then the cheese just like if you were making a cream sauce. It works nice for a dip like this OR on a veggie like broccoli. Yum!
I made this for lunch yesterday. It came out a bit thin but it tasted nice. I just wanted to tell you that today I made the leftovers (which was a lot) into a pasta dish. I just cooked up a box of pasta and drained it. While the pasta drained I put the dip in the pan to warm and then stirred in the pasta. My kids and boyfriend gobbled it down.
I just tried this dip without the meat and my family devoured it and wanted more. Somehow it tasted like it had meat in it. I used a salsa with corn and black beans in it so maybe that gave it a meatier consistency.
When your recipes call for cream, what kind, brand, do you use? Is it heavy cream? I’m new to this eating healthier journey. Thanks…
I sometimes use cream straight from a farm, but yes, if I buy it from the store, I use the heavy whipping cream.
Jenn, Just wanted to say that you are not alone ;) I literally read down through all of these comments hoping that this question would be answered so I wouldn’t feel silly asking.
Thank you for this! I’m Australian and I’ve seen this recipe posted so many times, but we don’t have Velveeta or anything like this. Using your recipes I can now make what a lot of my US friends rave about! Thank you!
I’m looking for summer recipies for my teenagers + their friends. Never made a queso dip before. So happy to stumble into a healthier one. Thanks!
I just made this dip using cream cheese instead of cream (didn’t have any) and my family LOVED it!!!! My husband said it was perfection, the best dip he has ever tasted! Thank you so much, love your recipes!
I was astonished to find that a google search of what I affectionately called “heart attack dip” had a startling resemblance to everyone else’s heart attack dip. Mine was very simple: block of velveeta, jar of salsa, tube of hot breakfast sausage. It was/is great tasting, and wholly bad for anyone who consumes it. After a lot of sifting through nutrition facts labels of products, and years of tasting new things, I have found the closest approximation of this dip that is precariously close to being healthy. I still eat both healthy and unhealthy foods, and trust me when I say this one is a “no compromise” solution to the unhealthy dip issue.
Tostitos’ Salso con Queso dip.
Jimmy dean Hearty Sausage crumbles made w/turkey.
Any salsa you prefer, or even just chopped up jalapeno or serrano peppers.
Read the labels. Taste the ingredients. Mix them and realize you’ve just made something with 1/2-1/3 the calories, 1/2 the sat-fats, and 90% the flavor of the unhealthiest dip you’ve ever tasted in your life.
I was as surprised as anyone that the Tostitos Salsa Con Queso dip was less than half as bad as cheddar cheese, and that the Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles were close enough to fool a die-hard pork fan. Good enough to use in a sausage and cheese omelette.
Let me know if you agree – try it once, you’ll be hooked.
I’m sorry, but I must disagree with you. I just looked up the ingredients for your queso dip and it is awful! First off it is made with skim milk, that is the waste-product of other foods, never touch the stuff. Vegetable oil is not healthier than traditional fats, the medical community is just now starting to wake up to this. ‘Natural Flavors’? Duck feathers, crushed beatles and a host of other things, ewww. Sodium Hexametaphosphate, used in cardboard boxes and bubble bath. Monosodium glutamate absolutely awful stuff. Artificial colors yellows 5 & 6. Within 30 minutes of eating this stuff ADD kids would be going berserk! Artificial colors have warning labels in other countries and for good reason.
All points well taken. “Close to being healthy” was
a bit of a stretch to say the least. I would argue,
however, that compared to a recipe with “real” breakfast sausage and Velveeta “cheese”, it isn’t all bad news
either. Regular breakfast sausage has beaks and toenails
and MSG also, as well as a ton of extra calories and
saturated fat.
Right now, my weight and blood levels of cholesterol
are my main and most immediate serious health concerns,
so I’m focusing on lower caloric intake and reduction of saturated fats.
The comment about vegetable oil has me curious though,
as I’m looking to balance all my Mono/poly/Saturated/
Omega3/6 ratios. What are you considering a “traditional
fat” that would be better? For instance, I was thinking
olive oil and salmon would be a good combo. Is there new research coming out saying I should butter it instead or something? Please say yes :) If so are there any good
sites to read up on it?
Once I get my other stuff under control, I’m sure I will naturally start to look further down the ingredient lists
for the rest of the horrible things to worry about – and
I’m not being sarcastic, I know they really are that bad –
but I’m still working on the bottom rung of that ladder.
I just made this using the leftover ground beef I seasoned to taste like italian sausage for your whole wheat calzone recipe. I added 2 oz cream cheese, 1 cup cheese, and the bottom-of-the-jar of salsa, probably 2 tbs. So delicious! I am guessing the container will be empty by the time I get home from work tonight as Hubs is a big fan of chips and dip! Thanks for the recipes and hints, I am loving that I just discovered your site!
Can this be made and kept warm in a slow cooker?
That should work out fine!
Hi Laura,
So, I came to this website looking for a substitute for the Velveeta because I love making Chicken Tortilla soup and I have an AMAZING recipe for it, but eating that much velveeta leaves me feeling dirty and wrong every time. Is the cream & cheddar in this recipe a good sub for velveeta for most things? Do you think it would be okay in soup? Or do you think this recipe just works because of all the ingredients involved? Thanks so much for your help!
It should substitute just fine in any recipe. :)
I was wondering what you used as cream? Would love to try and make this since my family is big on queso!
I use the raw cream that I skim off the top of our farm fresh milk, or I use the “heavy whipping cream” I get at the store.
You may have just saved my marriage! Velveeta cheese dip and miracle whip are two things my husband does not want to live without! We’ll definitely be trying this soon!!!
I don’t know what I was thinking, but I recently got my 5-year-old hooked on American cheese. :-( I even made a cheese sauce out of Kraft 2% milk singles (whatever that means!) and milk for him tonight. He hates cheddar (WHAT!). But adding cream to cheese might just do the trick… can’t wait to get some *real* cheese and some cream and attempt make some magic. Thanks for the idea.
So it’s just cream like what you can buy in a can? Would Sour Cream work?
Heavy whipping cream will come in a carton sold in the dairy aisle. Sour cream might be a bit thick, but I am sure you can try it and see!
I don’t think I ever posted, but we love this recipe here. That said, I did find it too thin when made with cream so I make it with sour cream instead and that seems to thicken it up just enough. Also using some of my taco seasoning (and no water with it) seems to thicken it up a bit too. If only I could somehow make it casein free for my one daughter, it’d be perfect, but thankfully she’s happy with just plain chips.
I’m just finding your blog and enjoying looking at the recipies…so my question is when it says cream (like when you make sour cream in a previous post and the cream mentioned in this one), what kind of cream are you talking about? Whipping cream?
Thanks
Duh…I see the answer after looking closer at other comments :)
I have a love affair with Velveeta….it reminds me if my grandmas cheese dip which not only contains the thick creamy processed cheese stuff but it is accompanied by a stick of margarine a can of cream of mushroom soup and then the usual suspects such as ground beef, salsa, chili powder, peppers, onions and jalapeños. This “food” is a severe temptation!!! I cannot wait to give your version a try soon and see if I can convert my whole family!!!
Laura, did you know there is a recipe (very easy) for HOMEMADE Velveeta? I saw the recipe on Pinterest and thought of this post. Here’s the link: http://nourishingjoy.com/homemade-cheez-whiz-homemade-velveeta-real-food/