Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Bean Dip with Sausage
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the sausage and onion
Crumble sausage in a large heavy skillet and cook just until the fat starts to gather in the pan.
Add onion and cook until onion is transparent, then drain.
Melt and serve
Add remaining ingredients and cook until all is hot and the cheeses are melted.
Serve hot with tortilla chips or corn chips.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Bean | 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.
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.
-
Cheddar cheese + cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together984 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + beanstop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beans + cheddar cheesetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together525 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + cheddar cheesetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,669 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beans + cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together741 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sausage
- Adds fat and savory meaty flavor that carries through the whole dip.
- Onion
- Turns sweeter and more aromatic as it cooks down until transparent.
- Refried beans
- Provides the bulk and creamy, spreadable body of the dip.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into a smooth, gooey texture and adds rich flavor.
- Monterey jack cheese
- Melts into a smooth, gooey texture and adds mild, creamy richness.
- Green chilis
- Add a mild tang and a touch of green chile flavor.
The step that matters
Melting the cheeses. Cheese should be melted over gentle heat. High heat tightens its proteins and squeezes out fat, which leaves the dip greasy and grainy instead of smooth.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beans, cheddar cheese, cheese):
- Tomatofits better
- Mustardfits better
- Welsh onionfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beans, cheddar cheese, 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.
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