Chile con Queso

Give me queso any night of the week and you'll immediately be my best friend. Better yet, give it to me for lunch along with a large margarita on the rocks. I'll probably ask you to move in with us.

Have you ever dipped soft pretzels in queso? Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say it is pretty much the best thing ever. Warm tortillas are a close second and typical tortilla chips round out the list in third. Not by much though. You can never go wrong with a fresh and salty tortilla chip.

Queso isn't hard to make at all and it's an appetizer that I'm sure most people will love.  Chile con Queso gets spruced up with tomatoes, jalapenos and serrano peppers so there's a great depth of different flavors jam-packed into it. Can't go wrong with that. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe


Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 serrano chiles, seeds and stems removed, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and stems removed, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup)
• 12 oz. cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
• 12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, serrano chiles, and jalapeño, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Whisk the flour into the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Slowly pour the milk into the pan while whisking, and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and tomatoes.

Reduce the heat to low, and add the grated cheeses a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until it is completely melted. Repeat until all of the cheese has been added. Stir in the sour cream until completely combined. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Leftovers (if you have any!) can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, and then reheated when you’re ready to serve.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker