Skyline dip is a fan favorite in my house! A layer of cream cheese gets topped with flavorful Cincinnati-style chili and shredded cheese, then baked until bubbly!
If you’re looking for more dips to bring to your party, try out my Pepperoni Pizza Dip, BLT Dip, Fried Pickle Dip, Baked Garlic Bread Dip, and White Queso Dip!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Skyline chili is a Midwest delicacy! This chili dip, and the Cincinnati style chili that inspires it, has always been a favorite of mine. Growing up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio that can only mean one thing… 3-ways and coneys until the day I die!
This easy, cheesy chili dip is comfort food at its finest! It’s such a delicious way to eat your weight in chips and always seems to be my go-to party or game day appetizer! When I don’t have a lot a lot of time to make something, this hot and cheesy chili dip always saves the day.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Cream cheese- softened
- Skyline chili
- Cheddar cheese- shredded
In case you need a little background here, Skyline is the name of a restaurant, Skyline Chili to be exact, that serves Cincinnati style chili. Although everyone’s chili has the same fundamental base, Cincinnati chili is special because of the tweaks in flavor and texture.
Us Cincinnatians don’t like to eat our chili from the bowl! Chili over spaghetti with an ungodly amount of cheese on top is the most common way of eating Cincinnati-style chili. We also like it on hot dogs, with some mustard, diced onions, and again, lot of cheese on top! Today I’m sharing a recipe using Cincinnati-style chili in a dip you can bring to your next party too!
This 3-ingredient chili dip with cream cheese, Skyline chili, and shredded cheese is so easy to make, you barely even need a recipe! It’s as simple as layering everything up, baking until the cheese is melted, and enjoying alongside chips for dipping!
How to make the best Skyline dip:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread softened cream cheese in the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch pie plate, then top with chili.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over top of the chili, then bake for 20 minutes.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before enjoying alongside Fritos scoops or tortilla chips!
If you’ve heard of Skyline chili, but don’t live in Cincinnati, you’ve more than likely heard some mixed reviews. Skyline chili, aka Cincinnati-style chili, is super unique and tastes far from traditional chili, but if you grew up eating it like I did, you already know how protective we can be over this Cincinnati staple!
For everyone located in Ohio, you’ll be able to easily find cans of Skyline at your local grocery. If you’re not in Ohio, not to worry! Cans of Skyline are available online, because everyone should be able to try this delicious chili no matter where they live!
My top tips:
- SOFTENED CREAM CHEESE: Using softened cream cheese makes it much easier to spread the cream cheese into the bottom of your baking dish. If you forget to set it out ahead of time to softened, you can place it in your baking dish and microwave for 45 seconds or until spreadable.
- SKYLINE CHILI: Although I’m biased toward Skyline chili, you can use any canned chili you want here. I prefer sticking to bean-less chili, but the recipe will work with whatever variety you like! You can even use leftover homemade chili!
- ADD IN’S: Feel free to kick this up a notch add a layer of diced green chilis or diced onion on top of the chili layer too! If you like spicy, you could even throw on some diced jalapeños.
- FRESHLY SHREDDED CHEESE: I like shredding my own cheddar cheese for this recipe rather than buying pre-shredded at the grocery store. It’s not an absolute must but shredding the cheese yourself allows the cheese to melt better compared to pre-shredded cheese that usually has added starch to prevent clumping.
- LEFTOVERS: Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
This simple chili cheese dip only requires 3 ingredients to make and is ready in no time! It’s cheesy, creamy, and screaming to be dipped with Fritos scoops, or your favorite tortilla chips! Serve this at any party you have, and I guarantee it’ll be polished off in a matter of minutes!
Looking for more easy appetizers? Try these out!
- Pretzel Pigs in a Blanket
- Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls
- Pepperoni Crescent Rolls
- Cheesy Ranch Ritz Bits
- Bean and Cheese Taco Bites
- Biscuit Pretzel Bites
- Loaded Tater Tot Cups
Skyline Dip (Chili Cheese Dip)
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese softened
- 1 (15 oz) can Skyline Chili
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread softened cream cheese in the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch pie plate, then top with chili.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over top of the chili, then bake for 20 minutes.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before enjoying alongside Fritos scoops or tortilla chips!
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Ann from Hillside, NJ says
I live in NJ and have been making this fabulous chili dip for 25+ years. i never heard of Skyline chili. We use Hormel chili without beans. The rest is history. a great recipe.