Name: Chili Sauce Shrimp Dip
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese; 1 (12 ounces) bottle chili sauce; 6 ounces tiny whole shrimp, rinsed and drained; 1 small can sliced ripe olives; 1 large pepper, medium dice; 1 large sweet onions, medium dice; 1 cup finely grated Sharp cheddar cheese topping; 1 large bag tortilla chips for scooping

Why it works: Cream cheese and cheddar cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 467 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Chili Sauce Shrimp Dip

Timea few hours

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese
1 (12 ounces) bottle chili sauce
6 ounces tiny whole shrimp, rinsed and drained
1 small can sliced ripe olives
1 large pepper, medium dice
1 large sweet onions, medium dice
1 cup finely grated Sharp cheddar cheese topping
1 large bag tortilla chips for scooping

Directions

Prepare

Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature and spread evenly on a large platter.
Spread chili sauce evenly over the cheese.
Add the shrimp and the remaining ingredients in the order given. Optionally leave out any ingredients you dislike or add extras.

Chill and serve

Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

513Calories

38 gProtein

24 gFat

39 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Tortilla Chip	1 medium flour (45g)	140
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Cream Cheese	1 oz (28g)	99
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Olive	1 large (4g)	4
Sauce	not in our table	0
Topping	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cream cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together467 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together29,779 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Olive + peppertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together30,263 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Olive + cheddar cheesetop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,783 recipes

Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese: Forms the creamy base layer that holds the other toppings.
Chili sauce: Adds moisture, sweetness, and acidity that flavor the dip.
Tiny whole shrimp: Provides the seafood element and a soft, tender texture.
Sharp cheddar cheese: Adds salty, sharp flavor and a melting-free topping layer.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream cheese, sauce, shrimp, olive, pepper, cheddar cheese):

Capsicumfits better
Tomatofits better
Chivefits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against cream cheese, sauce, shrimp, olive, pepper, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.