I Am Trying To Imagine the Horror of Life Without Rotel

Several of you asked, in the comments section below, what Rotel is. 

And I wept for you.

I totally forgot that Rotel is a semi-regional product.  When we lived in Chicago it was nearly impossible to find, a little inconvenience that made Super-Bowl watching considerably less enjoyable.

Rotel, for those of you that don't know, is a canned blend of tomatoes and green chili pepppers.  It is an essential staple in anything Tex-Mex-ish, and it is the STAR of the all-important and aforementioned Super-Bowl snack:  Rotel cheese dip.  For this, you simply melt a "loaf" of Velveeta together with a can of Rotel.  Eat with chips, of course, and good luck using restraint.

(For those of you who disdain the Velveeta, I don't EVEN want to hear it.  Velveeta haters baffle me.  That is some fine stuff.)

Feel free, you Rotel lovers, to expound on your love of (and uses for) Rotel in the comments section. 

Comments

[Gina]

Rotel is awesome! I make a dish exactly like the one you posted on your wfmw post. I thought I invented it! It's definitely a staple in a well stocked pantry.

It fits well in almost any cheesy, potlucky, casserole type dish too. I'm having a hard time trying to think of a specific recipe for it. It's always one of those, "This needs something..." additions.

[Amy]

I am in shock. I never knew that there were places where one could not buy Rotel! How do they cook? How do they eat? I use the stuff at least once a week! And what would New Year's Day be without our ground beef, black-eyed pea, rice & ROTEL skillet meal be?!? Wow.

[SarahMay]

If Rotel isn't carried in your area, you can substitute a can of any-brand diced tomatoes with green chilies. (You may want to chop them up a bit because I think Rotel has slightly smaller pieces.)

And... my husband was the one who enlightened me on this one... it's important to DRAIN the Rotel before adding it to the Velveeta--unless you want cheesy Rotel soup (which still tastes good, but is harder to keep on the tortilla chips!).

[gretchen from lifenut]

Are you saying Rotel isn't lining the cupboards of America? That's a crying shame. Have some in my cupboard right now. Everyone I know thinks it's a staple, up there with flour, sugar, salt, and milk.

[chilihead]

I try to have FOUR cans of Ro-Tel in my pantry at all times.

[Just Beachy]

Ahh Rotel. I use it all the time. Actually my entry to this WFMW post mentions rotel (which you can now get in mild or mexican flavor as well)

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, (seasoned with salt and pepper) pour a can of rotel on top. Bake until done. Cover with a shredded cheese..I would suggest monterey jack with rotel, return to oven to melt cheese...serve with rice and green veggie. easy peasy.

[jen at talking hairdryer]

Ok, so try simmering the rotel, a few diced onions, and a can of green chili in a bit of oil before you add the rotel. It's just a little bit of heaven on earth!

[Penelope Anne]

Rotel lives on our pantry shelf, we use it in almost anything we use tomatoes in. Love it!!!!

[christine]

To think that someone doesn't have access to Rotel. OH! The inhumanity!!!

[Sharon]

You can add Rotel to Meat to make a Mexi-meatloaf.

[jen]

I never knew of Rotel until I moved from the Upper-Midwest to the Dallas area! It is now an item that is always on my grocery list...always. I've tried to make dinners when we visit family in Georgia and Minnesota and it's hard to find in either place- as is good enchilada sauce :)
I love your measurements too for your no-name dish---that's my kind of cooking :)

[Maddy]

Oh dear. I don't know what this is or how to use it. Is it regional? I'll go and crawl back under my foreign rock now.
Cheers

[Grace]

There is a world WITHOUT Rotel???? NO!!!!! I had NO idea there were places in this country you couldn't get it... I thought you'd at least have to go to the other side of the world!!!!

[Holly Smith]

And never, ever use the cheese product that is not Velveeta. It is just not the same.

'Love the Super Bowl comment. I am sorry that you had to endure a game without a staple in every Southern home!

[Maria]

I admit I never knew the joy of Rotel until I moved to Tulsa. Now, I cannot live without it. Well, in Europe, I lived without, but not here.

My quick rotel recipe--I have others, but this one rocks.

Cook a box of bow-tie (or whatever pasta you have) pasta (approx 1 pound)

While that is going on, brown a pound of hamburger meat. Add can of rotel and velveeta.

When the pasta is done, mix it in with the hamburger mixture. Viola! Dinner is served.

[Jenni]

love Rotel....another great snacky dip is:

1 can Rotel
16 oz cream cheese
1 pound sausage

Brown the sausage and drain. Mix in cream cheese and drained Rotel with the sausage.

[Sherry]

Rotel in my chicken chili. Rotel in my taco soup. Rotel always in my pantry!

And every once in a while, when I'm feeling crazy, I brown a pound of pork sausage and add it to the Velveeta dip.

[Brandi]

I remember tasting Rotel for the very first time in Collierville, Tennessee as a preteen, I believe. It could always be found as an appetizer at any southern gathering, and now that I am back in Arizona, it's not as popular. Maybe that is a good thing, though, since Velveeta likes to cling to my middle!:)

[Ronnica]

I love Rotel as well. Luckily, I can still find it in North Carolina. Something good came out of Texas??

[Big Mama]

And on the eighth day God created Rotel.

Enough said.

[Phebe]

I only recently discovered Rotel (and cooking all things Mexican, for that matter). It is impossible, as far as I know, to cook ANY Mexican dish without Rotel, canned green chiles, and canned enchilada sauce. I've always been big on cooking Oriental food (my husband is Filipino), but since moving to Colorado (from LA--go figure!) I've been on a Mexican kick. Thank God for Rotel--even in Colorado...

[Dawn]

Rotel is awesome! It's a key ingredient in my famous Cheeseburger Casserole. My recipe: egg noodles, Campbell's cheese soup, ground beef, ROTEL, sauteed onions, corn. Mushrooms are optional. A cup of shredded cheddar and diced scallions (green onions) to top it off, and voila! Heart attack in a bowl. MMMMMM, MMMMM Good!

[Julia]

Delurking to comment on Ro-tel - am a alabama girl... have a friend from New Jersey - we were discussing a "tex-mex" meal and I referred to the "Ro-tel dip" a.k.a. Queso... a.k.a. cheese dip - I was astonished that my NJ friend had NO IDEA what Ro-tel was! We both live in VA now and thankfully I was able to find the trusty can and introduce her to the best can on earth!

[DeputyHeadmistress]

I do not consider velveet a food, but I would buy it anyway because of that cheese dip. I learned this year that you can make the same dip (only it tastes ten times better) using cream cheese instead of velveeta.

You can heat it or just use a mixer to mix it in. And if you don't have Ro-tel, a good brand of salsa mixed with cream cheese makes a delicious dip.

[Magi]

We're big Ro-tel fans. We do the Velveeta dip. I have a chicken recipe at home that calls for it, and we do the cream cheese dip. I've never added sausage to the cream cheese version, only the Velveeta version. Sounds interesting. I like the cream cheese one because it's served cold. I just mix in one can of drained Ro-tel to one brick of softened cream cheese, and chill.