I’m sure I’m not the only person out there who is always looking for the ever elusive queso dip that we all love from our local Mexican restaurants. As far as the easy options go in order to make it at home, there are two typical options: the jarred stuff and the block stuff to mix with salsa or Rotel. But you know what? This homemade version isn’t any more difficult than making queso dip with block cheese and in my opinion (and not just my opinion), it’s 100x better than either the block cheese version or the quick and dirty jarred stuff. A quick sauté of some diced onions and fresh pepper, melt in some shredded cheese then add some cream, tomato, and cilantro and you’ve got homemade restaurant style queso dip!
The key to this recipe is the addition of deli-sliced American cheese (don’t judge!). I also threw in some pepper Jack and provolone partly because they both melt really well but mostly because I didn’t have enough American in the house when I made this on a whim last weekend – my modifications to the original recipe are below. Once heated through (and thoroughly stirred while it’s being heated), this recipe yields a nice, creamy queso dip. As you can see, it’s also the perfect topping for some chili nachos (game time, anyone??) and we also topped a couple of steamed hot dogs with the queso for dinner one night this week as well. And wouldn’t this queso be an awesome way to make homemade cheese fries as well? You bet! Overall, this is a definite winner and you certainly won’t find any other queso dip in my house from here on out.
Restaurant Style Queso Dip
source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 cup white onion, diced
- 1 medium fresh hot cherry pepper (what I used), seeds and stem removed; diced
- 6 oz white or yellow American cheese, shredded or broken into small pieces
- 4 oz Monterrey or pepper Jack cheese, shredded (don’t use pre-shredded)
- 4 oz provolone cheese, shredded (don’t use pre-shredded)
- 1/4 – 2/3 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk
- 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeds removed and diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted.
- Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.
- Serve hot with tortilla chips or as a topping for chili, nachos, hot dogs, French fries, etc.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve made (almost) this same dip before, I think from Annie’s site… to die for!
Mmm I LOVE queso! This will be perfect for footballl parties!
I love queso dip, this looks absolutely delicious – the kind that I could sit and eat the whole batch in one sitting. I’ve got to try it!
I am a sucker for nachos, and those look so so good. I’ve been wanting to make this queso ever since Shawnda posted it too, so maybe I’ll give in this weekend.
Glad you like the queso! That first picture made my heart flutter. And now I want nachos. Or cheese fries. Or a hot dog. I can’t decide.
It is football season Greenbay plays New Orleans tonight. This is what I call great football food. I bookmarked it for later. Thanks for sharing.
Just in time for football season!! YES
YUMMY! I can’t wait to make this for the next Gator game!
Yum! One of my favorite dishes. I know American cheese is the secret to most great quesos. Will be trying this version soon!
I’m not a fan of those jar varieties either and I know my hubby would love this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I have a friend who is obsessed with the queso dip when we go to Mexican restaurants! I am passing this on to her!! Thanks!
I used to buy both tomato and cheese dips in the supermarket. With this, I can now prepare my own queso dip suited to my taste.
Hmmm I wish I knew the Australian versions to all those American cheeses you refer to … I absolutely love that cheese dip … But never thought of trying to find an Aussie version. Thanks for making me’ hungry AGAIN and my mouth water !!
Linley: I just came across a post the other day on how to make American cheese so this might be helpful to you. Let me know what you think…http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/do-it-yourself/2011/09/how-to-make-american-cheese/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-make-american-cheese
Oh my goodness – your nachos up top look sinful and this queso sounds fabulous – like the real thing!
This looks so yummy!
Hi, this looks delicious! What is “American” cheese”? Is it something I can get in the dairy section, or should I be looking for it in at the deli counter?
Sara: In American grocery stores, you’ll be able to find it in the dairy section (in packages) and most likely also at the deli where it needs to be freshly sliced. It’s recommended to use the deli cheese for this recipe.
Could this be made without the hot pepper or would it take away too much of the taste?
Kaitlyn: Sure, I’ve made it without the pepper and it was still great!
Think this could be made with low-fat cheese and half&half?? I wanted to make it healthier, but sometimes the fats are really necessary to making it creamy.
Jenn: I wouldn’t recommend low-fat cheese though half-and-half would probably work fine.