Simple Tex Mex Queso Recipe

Many people love to dip tortilla chips in salsa dip. But Tex Mex aficionados love their queso, a creamy, smooth sauce made from a blend of melted cheese (Velveeta is a popular ingredient, as is cream cheese, Monterey Jack, or another type of processed cheese). The dip also is often called chili con queso because many recipes add chili pepper and even canned or fresh tomatoes to it.

Queso comes to us from Chihuahua, a northern state in Mexico as a Tex Mex version of queso flameado (“flamed cheese”/melted cheese) and queso chihuahua.

Queso is easy to make at home, so we’ve brought you a simple queso recipe, courtesy of AllRecipes.com. This recipe is for white queso (made from white American cheese, rather than from Velveeta or another yellow processed cheese).

You will need:

• One pound (cubed) of white American cheese
• One-half cup of milk (or as needed)
• One tablespoon of butter or margarine
• Two four-ounce cans of green chilies (chopped)
• Two teaspoons of cumin
• Two teaspoons of garlic powder
• Two teaspoons of onion powder
• Cayenne pepper (to taste)

To make:

• Take the cheese, butter and milk and cook in a medium saucepan over low heat.
• Stir frequently and cook until the cheese has melted.
• Then stir in the cumin, green chilies, the onion and garlic powder, and the cayenne pepper to taste).
• If the dip is too thick, add milk.
• Heat through and serve with chips or other dipping foods immediately.

It should take you about five minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook. (How long it takes you and your friends/family to finish it off could almost be as quick; thankfully, it will take you just another 15 minutes to make some more.)

Note: This recipe results in eight servings at 233 calories per serving.

Whether you want queso, salsa or guacamole as the dip to go along with your tortilla chips, just let your Mattito’s server know and we’ll be happy to bring one – or all! – to your table. Visit the Mattito’s location nearest you soon to indulge your need for cheese!

Image By Wackyrussell at English Wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons