Clancy’s Cheese Dip

I make a lot of homemade meals and dinners cooked from scratch for my family, but sometimes we indulge a little. That might mean enjoying a pizza on a busy weeknight, a dessert on the weekend, or some chips and dip as a snack. Dip is definitely a favorite in my household, from street corn dip to taco dip to queso dip. One type of dip I tend to keep around is a basic processed cheese dip from Aldi. Cheese dip is a nice complement to everything from nachos to soft pretzels to potatoes to broccoli.

In fact, I mostly keep this around for times when I cook the bags of steamable frozen broccoli from Aldi. After steaming the broccoli in its bag in the microwave, I empty the broccoli into a serving bowl and add a spoonful or two of cheese dip and stir it in. The hot broccoli instantly warms the cheese dip and then it’s all ready to serve. It makes even my picky eaters more likely eat a serving of vegetables.

I also always make sure I have a jar of this dip on hand when I buy soft pretzels from Aldi during German week. It’s fairly salty when paired with pretzels, so a little goes a long way. In addition, I also serve it as a dip when I make a bag of frozen curly fries so we can enjoy an Arby’s-style treat.

Clancy’s Cheese Dip cost $3.19 for a 15-ounce jar at Aldi at the time of publication.

This is a Regular Buy, so you should be able to find it at Aldi all year. (Caveat: in my local stores, this product sometimes experiences temporary shortages from time to time, but it usually comes back within a few weeks. I like to keep an extra jar or two at home so it’s not a problem if my local store is temporarily out of stock.)

Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

This is a processed food, so the ingredients list isn’t great, although the jar proclaims that it’s made with real cheese. If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains milk and soy. It is gluten free.

One jar contains about 14 two-tablespoon servings, and one serving has 90 calories, 7 grams of total fat (8% DV), 2 grams of saturated fat (10% DV), 410 mg of sodium (18% DV), 5 grams of total carbohydrates (2% DV), 3 grams of total sugars, and no added sugar.

The jar includes some microwave heating directions, but it warns not to heat the cheese dip in the glass jar it comes in. Instead, transfer the jar’s contents to a microwave-safe container. If you’re heating the entire jar full of dip, microwave it on high for up to 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring every 30 seconds. If heating 1/4 cup or less, microwave at 15-second intervals for up to 1 minute. Use caution to avoid burns.

Refrigerate any remaining dip after opening the jar.

This is a staple in my kitchen, and it adds fun flavor to vegetables or makes a great dip for pretzels or French fries. There are limitless ways to use this dip.

The Verdict:

Clancy’s Cheese Dip features real cheese — and a good amount of processed ingredients — and is great for stirring into cooked vegetables or adding to potatoes, nachos, and more. It’s good for encouraging kids to eat their veggies. We also like to serve it as a dip with hot soft-baked pretzels or with French fries.