RO*TEL....just a Texas and Southwest staple? (Howe, Dean: shops, to eat)

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

I just made some ROTEL cheese dip and it's awesome. When it cools, doesn't it turn back to hard cheese again? If so, how do you prevent this? Mine's still hot but is kind of "clabbering" on top.

It does thicken a bit, yes. Just stir in a little water or milk, and reheat in the MW.

It will keep in the fridge for a few days, too.

[NOTAM]

which cheese dip did you try? my recipe or the one on the ROTEL website?

Originally Posted by Synopsis

I just made some ROTEL cheese dip and it's awesome. When it cools, doesn't it turn back to hard cheese again? If so, how do you prevent this? Mine's still hot but is kind of "clabbering" on top.

[Muhnay]

NOTAM, do you wear dresses and Cowboy boots? Do you have Blonde Hair and work as a nurse?

I have to try Ro*tel with cream cheese and salsa.

[JeffinNYC]

I lived in NYC from 2000-2015. I never had a problem finding Ro-Tel. Food Emporium, Gristedes, and D’Agostino’s all had it, as did Key Foods, Associated, and the other smaller, cheaper, dirtier supermarkets, plus Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, and Duane Reade. Shop-Rite and Pathmark had it as well, always in the canned vegetables aisle next to the regular canned tomatoes. These places also had Talk o’ Texas brand okra pickles. Dr. Pepper was a little harder to come by in 2000, especially way out in the outer boroughs, but by 2015, it was pretty much everywhere. White corn meal was hard to find until I figured out that Asian supermarkets always carried it. Now that I’ve moved back, I’d like to find Locatelli pecorino Romano, Ellio’s frozen pizza, sliced Dak ham (to roll up around the pickled okra and some cream cheese), Presidente beer, 5 J’s jamon Serrano, and a few other things here in Texas.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by JeffinNYC

I lived in NYC from 2000-2015. I never had a problem finding Ro-Tel. Food Emporium, Gristedes, and D’Agostino’s all had it, as did Key Foods, Associated, and the other smaller, cheaper, dirtier supermarkets, plus Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, and Duane Reade. Shop-Rite and Pathmark had it as well, always in the canned vegetables aisle next to the regular canned tomatoes. These places also had Talk o’ Texas brand okra pickles. Dr. Pepper was a little harder to come by in 2000, especially way out in the outer boroughs, but by 2015, it was pretty much everywhere. White corn meal was hard to find until I figured out that Asian supermarkets always carried it. Now that I’ve moved back, I’d like to find Locatelli pecorino Romano, Ellio’s frozen pizza, sliced Dak ham (to roll up around the pickled okra and some cream cheese), Presidente beer, 5 J’s jamon Serrano, and a few other things here in Texas.

Well, for cryin' out loud, if you can't find something in New York City, it doesn't exist.

Toughest one for me is pepper sauce. That is what Texans call the little green hot peppers in vinegar. (Note to New Englanders: pepperoncini are NOT hot peppers.) I have had to resort to making my own.

[hound 109]

Excellent Thread Resurrection.

Regarding Ro*tel, I always thought the tomato to green chilies ratio was too heavy on tomato. So when making Queso (or anything), I'd put one can of Rotel and also toss a small can of green chilies (usually found nearby on the same aisle) to give it the proper flavor and also the proper tomato/chili ratio.

So toss this.



Along with this.



...in with the Velveeta.

Originally Posted by turf3

Toughest one for me is pepper sauce. That is what Texans call the little green hot peppers in vinegar. (Note to New Englanders: pepperoncini are NOT hot peppers.) I have had to resort to making my own.

Mmm Pepper Sauce.

I like to put that Vinegary "pepper sauce" on Greens (all types). One could always find that sauce at Lubys.

Or sprinkle some on a link sausage wrapped in white bread (aka a hot gut). Yum.

[NoClueWho]

Originally Posted by NOTAM

Is RO*TEL Rotel Main Page mainly a Texas and Southwest staple? I mean, how else would ya make King Ranch Chicken!!! hee hee!

I was talking to a good friend from the Right Coast tonite and she wasnt real sure if she knew what I was talking about.

Had a great dip today at work, made with Rotel:

2 cans undrained Rotel
Jimmy Dean sausage (the crumbles) warmed up
2 blocks of cream cheese softened

mix and serve warm with tortilla chips. so easy but SO delicious.

so answer my question and add your favorite Rotel recipe! (by the way, their website, link above, has some great recipes, old standards)

Oddly, I remember Rotel being a popular dish back in Tennessee, particularly among African Americans. I don't like it with sausage crumbles, though. Most people I know cook it with ground beef crumbles.

[Hemlock140]

We have a can in the pantry right now, and use it every couple of months for something. We have never lived in Texas or the Southwest, but then it’s not exactly a staple here in the Seattle area. We just happen to like it in some dishes, dips, rice, and casseroles.

[JeffinNYC]

I don’t like sausage or hamburger or any kind of meat in my Ro-Tel dip. It makes it greasy and nasty, to my taste. Maybe if the meat was cooked separately, squeezed dry, and added at the end it wouldn’t be so bad. I use 1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, 16 oz. of Velveeta, and a pinch of onion powder if using a double boiler, and I add about 1/4 cup of skim milk or water to keep the right moisture level if using the microwave. I remove the seeds, skins, and hard stem ends, but this is not really necessary. With a double boiler, just cook until done. With a microwave, cook one minute at a time, and stir after each minute. It’s usually done in 6 minutes or so in the microwave. When I worked with people of Asian or Latin American heritage, I would dissolve about 6 Lactaid tablets in it if I made it for a work event; this didn’t affect the taste, and I avoided giving gastric distress to my co-workers. Everybody likes this dip.

[JeffinNYC]

Government cheese makes good Ro-Tel dip, if you can find it. Back in the ‘80’s, it was available to anybody receiving Social Security, so if you had grandparents, you had a source for it. You had to add a little milk to get the right consistency, but the taste had Velveeta beat. Maybe some rat trap cheese mixed with some milk would be a close approximation.

Dang, I love me some Ro-Tel dip!