Sausage Queso
Imagine spiking cheesy queso dip with sausage and piling it over rice. No need to imagine, I’ve done it right here!
This is the most incredible dish! And I know that for a fact because my son Kyle said, OMG, this is really, really good. And he tastes all my food! It’s cheesy, chunky, creamy, and undeniably flavorful.
You can make this dish mild or hot. First, you can start with regular or hot sausage. Next, you can choose mild or hot Rotel tomatoes. When it comes to the chili powder, you can choose regular or hot. And, lastly, you can serve hot sauce at the table. There are many ways to add layers of heat to this dish – as much or as little as you desire.
This easy, gluten-free, one-pan meal is ready in under 20 minutes! It’s a dump-and-stir recipe, meaning everything comes together in one pot! And if you choose the 90-second microwavable rice, you’ll literally have one pan to clean.
The cream cheese is what makes this dish work! Cream cheese contains stabilizers, ingredients that prevent the cheese from curdling when heated. And, those same stabilizers keep the cheddar from separating too! That’s why this cheesy sausage mixture is perfectly creamy and homogeneous.
You can also serve the cheesy sausage mixture as a dip. I served it over rice to make a complete, satisfying meal, but you could also serve it with crispy tortilla chips and serve it as a dip. Makes for an amazing party appetizer!
Feel free to add vegetables to this dish. Great additions would be corn, spinach, peas, and/or frozen peas and carrots or frozen mixed vegetables.
About the Rotel tomatoes. I love using Rotel canned tomatoes because they’re a savory blend of tomatoes and green chilies. If Rotel isn’t available in your area, substitute one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (regular or fire-roasted) and one 4-ounce can diced green chilies. Drain both before using.
Sausage Queso
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork sausage, regular, Italian, or hot
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces cream cheese, diced
- 10- ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, mild or hot, drained
- 1 cup shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cooked rice for serving
- Fresh cilantro for serving
- Hot sauce for serving, optional
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Remove any excess grease by using tongs to rub a paper towel around the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder and stir to coat. Add the cream cheese and cook until melted. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar cheese. Cook and stir until the cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Spoon the sausage mixture over the rice and garnish with cilantro. Serve with hot sauce if desired.