Copycat Pancho's Cheese Dip
"Tastes JUST like it! Recipe calls for block AMERICAN cheese, Velveeta might work just as well."
photo by *Parsley*
- Ready In:
- 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 4
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 1 lb block American cheese, cut into cubes
- 1 - 1 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies
directions
- Melt cheese until smooth in a double boiler or microwave, stirring throughout.
- Puree rotel in blender or small processor.
- Stir into the cheese the rotel, cumin and garlic.
- If too thick, add a little water.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
- ENJOY.
Questions & Replies
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Where do I find American cheese blocks?
Reviews
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I live in Colorado Springs now, but I am from Marion Ar.I worked for Pancho's for 2 years.. There is not a panchos here!! I miss real cheese dip... I miss panchos!! This is definitly a good fix. Tastes just like it to me.. It is awesome!! Thank you soooooo much!!! -
Attention fellow former Memphians: this recipe is legit! You can now have Pancho's Cheese Dip! I made this using some slight modifications based on the reviews, and it is like I was transported to Summer Avenue. (just go with it) My modified recipe (based on this recipe and reviews): - 1 lb American Cheese, cubed (Note: I used "deluxe" sliced American cheese... the kind without wrappers. Ain't nobody got time for wrappers!) - 2 cans of original Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles - 1/2 can of water (use less water to thicken the consistency) - 1 tsp garlic powder - 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin Process: - Bring cans of Ro-Tel and water to boil - Transfer Ro-Tel and water mixture (hot) to food processor or blender (umm, again... it is hot, so... be careful?) - Process/blend mixture for 30 seconds or so - Add cheese cubes, garlic powder, and cumin and process/blend for about 2 minutes until nicely blended - Enjoy Side note: After it sat in fridge overnight, it still had the same consistency. It's been years since I had Pancho's Cheese Dip, but from my tastebuds' memory, it was pretty spot-on.
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WATER! ... Is the key to keep it from coagulating in the fridge. Other recipes I see called for water, about a can, so once I added that with some black pepper it was perfect. I also added more spice for taste but don't know how much. -
My grandmother made this dip for many years and you have to boil the water and pour it over the ingredients in the blender then just blend and pour, to keep it from becoming solid. Trust me she made this every year for the past 30 years. We all go back to the fridge to sneak another bite becouse it doesnt get hard at all. Totally awesome dip though. I have never had panchos but I love it.
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This recipe was definitely over thought. The great thing about panchos cheese dip is that you can eat it cold! Once you heat up the cheese it's worthless! Sooo with that being said, blend ingredients in recipe as stated. Once blended add the cubed cheese and blend well. Tastes exactly like panchos and you can serve it straight out of the fridge(and it's still creamy, not a solid block of cheese)!!
see 8 more reviews
Tweaks
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Here it is: • 2 lbs Velveeta or *Deluxe* American cheese (not "cheese food" singles!) • 1 tsp granulated garlic powder (not the really fine ground stuff) • 1 tbsp ground cumin • 1 can regular Ro-tel • 1 can *mild* Ro-tel (Important; explained below) • milk or water as desired Cube/crumble cheese into double boiler, ~2.5 - 3 qt size. Sprinkle spices evenly over cheese to make mixing them in easier. While cheese is melting, open both cans and pour into blender. Do Not Liquify. Pulse blender several times until there are no big chunks. Pour Ro-tel into double boiler, cover and set timer for 10 - 15 minutes. At this point, cheese should be melted enough to stir. Stir well, continue to heat for 45 - 60 minutes total, to give flavors a chance to marry and blend. Stir every 10 minutes or so. Add milk or water depending on the consistency you want and how you're going to serve it: hot (add nothing or just a splash), room temp (1/2 - 1 tsp) or straight-out-da-fridge cold (1/2 - 1 tbsp). This is best if made the night before, and then gently reheated if you're going to serve it warm. I understand what others have said here, about jalapenos and red bell peppers. If you want to go that route, that's fine. But the spices, chilis and heat level are what make it Pancho's. All I can tell you is that I've lived most of my life in Memphis, and have made this for friends whose families have been here for generations. Every single one of them refused to believe it wasn't the real thing at first. The very first time I made it, I used 2 cans of regular Ro-tel, which is just enough hotter than Pancho's to be noticeable. One each of regular and mild does the trick perfectly. Enjoy! -
After checking the ingredients on a tub of Pancho's dip, I noticed it doesn't have any tomatoes or green chilis in the ingredients. Use red bell peppers and jalapeños instead of Rotel and you will have a spot on copy. Also you will have to use a fair amount of water to keep it liquid when cold and it's best to let it chill in the fridge for a couple of days before eating. -
I used Velveeta instead of American cheese, which likely resulted in the recipe tasting somewhat different than it is intended. Still good, just different.<br/><br/>Unintentional discovery! I liquified the Rotel as instructed, but instead of mixing the remainder of the ingredients with the cheese all at one time, I added it to the processed Rotel in the blender and simply hit "mix" before adding the entire liquid mixture to the melted cheese.<br/><br/>I wiped the dribble from the rim of the blender after pouring and then licked my finger. Big shock! It taste JUST LIKE PANCHO'S HOT DIP!!! I will have to buy a couple of cans of Rotel and add a 1 tsp of garlic powder and 3 tsp of ground Cumin to accompany the cheese dip!<br/><br/>Confession: Wally World did NOT have regular Rotel... every other variety, but not regular. I substituted the store brand (at 1/2 the price!). BINGO! I can now make Cheap Pancho's Hot Dip!
