I learned something recently that blew my mind. Did you know that queso dip ( the white cheese dip kind that is ubiquitous in Mexican restaurants here in the South ) isn't actually served in a lot of other Mexican restaurants in other parts of the country?!
I feel like when you are considering a new city to live in, that should be on the information page for the city: "Bring your own Mexican white cheese dip recipe, because we don't have it."
But don't fear!
Because I have the answer to all of your burning queso dip questions.
Let's start with the basics:
What kind of cheese is used for white queso dip in Mexican restaurants?
Y'all aren't going to like this, but it's the truth: American Cheese. Yeah, that's right. American Cheese. The kind you get from the deli. Do yourself a favor and get that "good" white American Cheese from the deli and not the individually wrapped slices.
The individually wrapped slices are a little more milky and create a thinner cheese dip. I'd rather have the control and be able to add more milk myself to control that.
That's why when you go to the store and buy some fancy actual Mexican cheese and use it in your cooking at home it doesn't taste the same.
You tried your best. I know you did. I'm so sorry to be the one to break the news.
But now you know.
How to Make Queso Dip
The good news is, that American cheese is SO easy to find, and this homemade queso recipe is STUPID EASY. Seriously. You don't even need a stove.
Essentially, you'll microwave all the ingredients together in increments, stirring every minute so it doesn't scald or burn. You can even make a crock pot queso dip by throwing everything into the crockpot on low and stirring it occasionally until it all melts. EASY y'all.
You can leave the peppers out. You can leave the salsa out. All you MUST have is the White American Cheese from the deli and half and half. But the other stuff makes it oh so good.
Oh, and did I mention this is a keto cheese dip recipe? So that means it's healthy, right? right?!
So for all of you guys who have had the misfortune of moving or living somewhere without the classic white queso dip available in the Mexican restaurants near you, you are welcome.
Other awesome Mexican Restaurant Recipes:
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Queso Dip
Ingredients
- ¾ lb White American Cheese sliced from the deli, torn into 1"- 2" pieces
- ¾ cup half & half
- ¼ cup Roasted Poblano Peppers peeled, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons diced canned jalapeno slices optional, for added spice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons salsa whichever is your favorite
Instructions
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine all of the cheese and roughly half of the half and half.
- Microwave for 1 minute. Stir to break up cheese bits.
- Microwave for 1 more minute. Stir again to combine. Stir in the rest of the half and half.
- Microwave for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining ingredients ( salsa, all peppers. ) All of the cheese should be melted, but if it is not, continue microwaving and stirring in one minute increments until it is.
Hi Marianne,
Looks great! So question. Wondering if I could do this on the stovetop? If so would I put in half of the ingredients first? If my math is correct (I suck at math) 3/4 lb is 12 ounces of cheese so would I put in 6 ounces, mix then add rest of ingredients? And do you think diced green chiles can be substituted for the roasted poblanos?
Thanks,
Yolanda
Hi Yolanda,
You can absolutely do this on the stove top - you'll just need to keep a close eye on the cheese to make sure it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan! A double boiler can help with this, but definitely isn't required. Your calculations look right to me :). and I have done the diced green chiles substition before and it was awesome! I have also substituted diced pickled jalapeños for a spicier version.
I hope you enjoy!
Marianne
This queso was so easy and so delicious! It was a huge hit with the football crew, and I felt fancy for bringing something so delicious that was homemade and not store bought.
why did you show pics of slices?
to show what the block cheese looks like when it is sliced at the deli instead of in the individual wrappers from the dairy aisle