Spicy Sausage Dip

Are you guys big into March Madness? Did you fill out a bracket or two? In years past, I’ve been a part of office pools, and watched as many games as I possible could. I’m not a college basketball fan generally, but it’s hard to deny the excitement of the March Madness games. This year I completely forgot about my bracket until about 5 minutes before the deadline, so I quickly made my guesses without any real research, and my results show it 🙂 With more games on tap for the weekend, I wanted to share a super easy snack idea with you. If you’re planning to watch the games with friends, you need this spicy sausage dip!

I actually made this dip for our Super Bowl party back in February. I didn’t get a chance to take a photo before serving it, and it wound up being such a huge hit that there was almost nothing left at the end of the night. I really wanted to make it again so I’d have more than a teeny tiny ramekin to photograph, but let’s be real. If I made it again, Shane and I wouldn’t have been able to keep our hands off it and would’ve gained back some of those pounds we’ve been working so hard to lose. It really is that irresistible!

There are only 4 ingredients needed to make the dip – sausage, tomatoes with chiles, cream cheese and hot sauce. And the prep time is maybe 10 minutes, if that. The dip is best when served warm, but we reheated that tiny leftover ramekin and enjoyed it almost as much the following day. You can make this as spicy (or in my case, not spicy) as you want by varying the amount of hot sauce you use. I added maybe a teaspoon or so and it had enough kick to keep everyone else happy without making me reach for a glass of water after every bite. Serve this dip at your next party, I guarantee it’ll be the thing everyone’s talking about 🙂

Spicy Sausage Dip
from My Baking Addiction

{Note: I couldn’t find a 15 oz can of tomatoes with green chiles in stores around here, only 10 oz. You can either use half of a second can to make up the difference, or scale back the sausage and cream cheese to work with the 10 oz.)

1 lb spicy Italian sausage
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
hot sauce, to taste

Add the sausage to a large skillet set over medium to medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain the fat in the pan. Lower the heat slightly, then stir in the tomatoes, cream cheese and hot sauce. Cook, stirring often, until the cream cheese has melted and the ingredients are well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and increase the heat by adding hot sauce, if necessary. Serve with crackers, chips, or your favorite item for dipping!