Chile Con Queso
Total Time
30 Minutes
Prep Time
15 Minutes
Cook Time
15 Minutes
Rating
4.62 out of 5 stars
(39)
Ingredients
2 cups
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups (8 oz) Mexican blend shredded cheese from a bag (I use Tillamook; see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Rotel (from a 10-oz can)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
- Tortilla chips, for serving
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Preparation
Chef’s notes
Make-Ahead Instructions:
The queso can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated on the stovetop. If it's too thick, add a bit of half and half or milk to thin it out.
Note:
I developed this recipe using pre-shredded cheese from a bag for ease and convenience, as it saves the effort of grating cheese by hand. An important aspect to note is that pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents to prevent clumping, which incidentally aids in thickening the queso, resulting in a perfectly smooth and creamy texture ideal for dipping. Should you choose to grate the cheese yourself, I recommend increasing the butter and flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons each. This adjustment compensates for the lack of anti-caking agents in freshly shredded cheese, ensuring your queso still achieves that wonderfully rich and creamy consistency.