Ingredients
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
12 oz. American cheese, shredded
4 oz. Pepper Jack, shredded
1 c. milk
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, diced
1 (4-oz.) can green chilis
1/4 c. freshly chopped cilantro
Tortilla chips, for serving
Preparation
Step 1In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Step 2Add cheese, a handful at a time, stirring well between each batch. Slowly stir in milk and continue stirring until everything is melted together. Adjust heat as needed as you don’t want the pan to be too hot or your sauce will separate. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, green chilis, and cilantro. Step 3Serve immediately with chips.
What’s the best cheese for queso? For our favorite queso, we used a mix of shredded American cheese and Pepper Jack. The American cheese keeps it melty and creates the perfect dip consistency, while Pepper Jack adds sharpness with a bit of extra heat. Tip: Always shred your own cheese! Pre-packaged cheese does not melt as well as a block of cheese, so we don’t recommend any pre-shredded cheeses for this queso. They often have added anti-caking agents like cellulose, which will prevent your cheese from melting and emulsifying fully. While we HIGHLY recommend American over cheddar ,we understand if you prefer cheddar. To use it instead, just use some extra milk to help thin it out, and cook it for a little longer on a lower heat. Avoid high heat when melting cheddar—cook it too hot too fast and it will encourage separation of the fats from the dairy solids! Not a fan of spicy dips? Replace the Pepper Jack with Monterey Jack if you’re not interested in the extra heat! Can I use Velveeta? Sure! Velveeta will act the same as American cheese for this queso. (In fact, due to its super processed nature, it will melt even better than American cheese—that’s why we use it in our baked mac and cheese!). Just cut into cubes and add it when the American cheese is called for, and add the milk slowly (you might not need it all with Velveeta). Velveeta can also be saltier than American cheese, so add a little less salt than you normally would, then taste and adjust seasonings from there. Does it need all of the veggies? In my honest opinion, yes. The onion, garlic, jalapeño, tomatoes, and green chilis add all of the flavor, which is what makes this queso the best. If you are more of a queso purist, then try it out with less of the veggies called for first before knocking all of them to the curb! Serve this along with our favorite salsa and tortilla chips for the perfect satisfying app! Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
