Description
Classic white queso dip showcases creamy Mexican-inspired flavors melding seamlessly with sharp cheeses and mild green chiles. Smooth cheese sauce provides delightful comfort perfect for gatherings where people crave rich, comforting appetizers you cannot stop eating.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) white American cheese, shredded
- 4 oz (113 g) white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Base: In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, warm olive oil and gently cook diced onions until they become soft and translucent, developing a delicate sweetness.
- Aromatic Infusion: Add minced garlic and finely diced jalapeños, allowing their vibrant flavors to bloom and intermingle for a brief moment, releasing their complex essence.
- Cheese Fusion: Reduce heat to low, gradually incorporate shredded white American cheese and sharp cheddar, slowly blending with half-and-half cream while continuously stirring to achieve a luxuriously smooth consistency.
- Spice Elevation: Introduce ground cumin and chili powder, thoroughly integrating these warmly fragrant spices to create depth and complexity in the queso’s flavor profile.
- Seasoning Refinement: Carefully adjust salt and freshly ground black pepper, tasting and fine-tuning to balance the dip’s overall flavor harmony.
- Presentation Finale: Transfer the velvety queso to a serving vessel, artfully garnishing with freshly chopped cilantro or thinly sliced jalapeño rings to provide a vibrant visual and flavor accent.
Notes
- Cheese Selection Matters: Use freshly shredded cheese blocks instead of pre-shredded varieties for smoother melting and better texture.
- Temperature Control: Keep heat low to prevent cheese from becoming grainy or separating during melting process.
- Stirring Technique: Continuously stir while incorporating cheese to ensure even melting and prevent burning.
- Customize Heat Level: Adjust jalapeño quantity based on personal spice tolerance for perfect flavor balance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 510 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg