A Super Bowl…of Spicy Queso
One of the first recipes I learned how to cook was queso. One of the first critters I almost killed was an armadillo. That’s growing up in Texas, sweetcheeks. (My car thumped over the armadillo. He was fine, honestly. That shell!)
My childhood queso recipe was simple: Slice a wobbly inch of Velveeta from the brick and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a splash of milk, and microwave until melted. Mix and eat in front of the TV with Tostitos.
As I’ve grown older, however, life has gotten more complicated. Queso, too. The most elaborate, razzle-dazzle queso I ever made was Rick Martinez’s recreation of the Texas icon, “Bob Armstrong.” It combines picadillo, queso, guacamole, and pico de gallo in one giant bowl — and it works. No maximalist charcuterie board has come close to blowing my mind like Bob.
Still, one needs a basic house queso. A dip that can appear, almost magically, with a basket of never-ended chips, in the same way it does in the finest of eating establishments. It’s for big football game holidays, end-of-a-long-week Fridays, and everything in between. I made this on New Year’s Eve, and my Michigan buds were thrilled. I made it for book club with margaritas, which fueled a lively discussion. For a dairy-centric culture, Midwesterners are surprisingly lacking in good restaurant queso; I have to fill the void.
I’ve moved on to real cheese from my Velveeta days, though it still holds a dear (and possibly medically permanent) place in my heart. I play with add-ins, but I do need a spicy component, whether it’s a pinch of cayenne, chipotles in adobo, or chopped fresh jalapeño. A little can go a long way, but a kick helps balance the richness of the cheese to keep everyone coming back for more.
The essential components, no substitutions allowed:
– Cheese. A giant block of Monterey Jack but pepper jack or cheddar also work (I shred it in my food processor on Sundays as “meal prep” lol). Store-shredded cheese is the enemy as it is coated in stuff that can lead to grainy queso.
– Milk. Whole milk. The other stuff is too watery and we’re already committed to full dairy here so stay on task.
– A roux. Since you’re using real cheese, versus Velveeta or American, you need to whisk some butter and flour together in the pan in order to make a smooth queso.
Optional, but recommended, spicy kick:
– RO-TEL or canned hatch chiles, if you damn well please!
– A scoop of chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, if you damn well please!
– A topping of fresh jalapeños, cilantro, or pico de gallo, if you damn well please!
If you don’t eat dairy, my particular recipe has no substitutions that will do it for you, but I understand your plight. There’s good news, though, because Jo contributor Carey Polis has a great two-ingredient dip that’s in the same flavor neighborhood — with fatty cashews blended with chipotles in adobo, a brilliant party trick I’ve made countless times.
My biggest queso struggle is how to keep it hot. I can’t buy a fondue pot, I just can’t. Maybe one of those heated bases for coffee mugs? Is this a billion-dollar market in the making? For now, my solution is to serve it in a heat-retaining ceramic or stoneware pottery bowl of a relatively modest size. Then I keep extra on the stove and add milk to thin as it rewarms. Or you can hope your guests will do their jobs correctly by just eating the queso before it’s cooled.
House Queso
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour)
1.5-2 cups of whole milk (or more as needed)
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (by you! Not pre-shredded, see above
Salt, to taste
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped chipotles and garlic, and mix them around until fragrant, but don’t let the garlic burn, just 1 minute or so. Whisk in the flour and let it cook off its dusty raw flavor for another 2 minutes or so. (Err on the side of too long so the sauce thickens correctly.) Slowly whisk in the milk and then let it warm up but not boil. When it looks like it’s fixin’ to boil, whisk in a handful of cheese until incorporated, then another handful…and another until it’s a good queso consistency for your soul. Do NOT let the queso come to a boil or it will break and become grainy. Add more milk if it’s too thick. Taste with a chip and add salt if needed. Serve hot, and happily.
Make ahead: You can make this ahead and store in the fridge. Reheat over low (no microwaving!) and add milk because it’ll probably be thick from the fridge. I’ve frozen it before with questionable results, depending on how long it froze and how desperate you are for hot cheese.
More Super Bowl recipes for those who celebrate:
* Self-serve baked beans
* Artichoke dip pizza
* The easiest party appetizer
* Ruffles and onion dip
* Homemade cheese straws
* A potato salad trick
* Three strategic starters
* How to build a charcuterie board
* How to build the perfect cheese tray
* Monochromatic fruit salad
* The best boxed brownies
* Batch cocktails
* The most fun host gift
Plus, a fun one-rule game for parties
Alex Beggs is a writer and copywriter who lives with her partner in Michigan. Her articles have appeared in Bon Appetit, Elle Decor, and The New York Times. She has also written for Cup of Jo about her dad’s meatloaf, cold cake, and (very) bad hair days.
(Photos by Alex Beggs.)
Tags: entertaining tips
Comments
113 commentsI had a similar queso conundrum and the solution to keeping it warm is getting one of those teensy weensy crockpots! My sister came to a party with one, plugged it in, and blew my mind!
I inherited one of these from my husband’s grandma and I can’t get rid of it because once every 2 years or so I make queso and use it 😂
Another fellow Texas–I love eating queso all the time at TexMex restaurants. At home, my husband is dairy free, so my go-to recipe is: https://www.veganricha.com/10-minute-vegan-nacho-cheese-sauce-vegan-queso/#wprm-recipe-container-19051
For those of you blessed to live in the land of HEB grocery stores (i.e. Texas), the brisket queso in the deli section is pretty decadent. You add milk to the cheese, brisket and pico de gallo, stir it together and bake it in the oven for about 15 minutes.
The HEB brisket queso is divine.
Super Bowl Sunday is the one day a year I get to eat the undetonated dairy bomb that is queso — for me, the Velveeta is the whole point!!
I would like to be invited to eat queso at the homes of everyone who commented here. Yum! I have never made it, I am intimidated!! Is the cleanup a nightmare?
I have never had this! (I’m Australian). I have been told that anything in Australia that is called Mexican food, simply isn’t… I know this is a stupid thing coming from a girl who eats Vegemite, but I cannot imagine eating queso. All that cheese… is it like the melted cheese stuff that has become popular on burgers? or is that something totally different. I am not a cheese person, but I am the mother of a 15year old boy and my god, I do believe that many of his dreams might come true with this dip. Can anyone elaborate further… what else is it like? Can you make a batch and reheat it in small batches or is it a thing you make and eat, no storing for later? (Hey Cup of Jo team, this might be too heavily conflicted a topic, but a post about some of the best tacos, or breakfast burritos/tacos would be amazing. Mexican food is not really a thing in Australia – there are a few high end restaurants but it isn’t a street food here and I would love to learn. My son loves the few things we have tried, but I would really love to learn more. )
Trying to imagine life without queso… Okay, so it’s like a cross between fondue and a homemade mac-and-cheese sauce, but spicy. Nothing at all like American “cheese” slices. It’s delicious :)
I think your son would love this! Whether it’s easy to reheat is a good question (I am not the type to leave any for later, lol) For what it’s worth.. melty, yellow-orange queso dip like this is more in the category of “Tex-Mex,” which is kind of a genre all its own… call it Mexian inspired Texan food maybe? Queso dip is delicious, but you’re unlikely to see it on the menu of a restaurant that’s specializing in foods/ingredients from Mexico. You might like the blog “Homesick Texan” for Tex-Mex, and you may enjoy looking up Pati Jinich’s recipes for Mexican food, or Fany Gerson’s recipes for Mexican sweets.
Mexican here! Queso is a Tex-Mex thing, not a Mexican thing. We didn’t grow up eating it. Mexican food is glorious and you must try it!! Visit Mexico to have authentic Mexican food or visit the U.S. Southwest region. When you visit, ask Mexicans for their recommendations!
Mi Cocina by Rick Martinez is a great cookbook! You might have to special-order some of the ingredients, like different dried chile or achiote paste, but they usually aren’t too expensive and are pretty shelf-stable. Making homemade tortillas is fun and easy (especially with a tortilla press, you can get a basic one for maybe $15USD) and SO delicious. Enjoy!
I don’t care for queso dip (don’t come for me!). But I read through this whole page and comments because Alex was so damn charming.
I’m from New Mexico. Velveeta and Sadies salsa is all you need. Okay, fine, add some shredded sharp cheddar if you must. Even my midwestern MIL loves it. sadiessalsa.com
I lived in NM during middle school and I forgot about Sadie’s Salsa. The best!
Omg props to you. Sadie’s salsa is SO hot! My husband is from Albuquerque and we went to restaurant and I ordered my green chile mild and I couldn’t even eat it, it was SO hot lol.
Just here to defend fondue pots. I have one (in a small NYC kitchen, no less), I break it out annually, I somehow spend $80 on cheese no matter how hard I try to spend less, and I have no regrets. Nothing is more glorious than a fondue party, do you hear me? NOTHING. In conclusion, I support putting queso in a fondue pot.
*claps for this comment*
Oh man, I just went back and re-read the bad hair article, and I’m cackling. I hope that picture is on her fridge. Also, who doesn’t love queso?
a recipe book is my favorite read..naturally, this article warmed my heart and had me laughing into my coffee cup! Keep writing, Alex Beggs!
My dairy-free besties: you NEED to try the original flavor vegan Babybell rounds. Unwrap, cut into fourths, microwave on 10-second intervals until melty. Mix in half a strained can of spicy Rotel and you have dairy-free queso that I find indistinguishable from the real thing.
OMG, this is THRILLING, I will absolutely be trying this Super Bowl Sunday!
That sounds good. We just do Velveeta and Rotel (to spice it up). I’ll look into adding the other stuff.
As M.E. mentioned above, a small cast iron skillet works great and retains heat for quite some time. I know you’re opposed to a fondue pot, Alex, but that’s what we use with a crowd. It’s a lovely Le Creuset forest green one and sits beautifully on the table or kitchen island keeping that queso warm for days.
This is timely! I’m hosting a Galentine’s game night the day after V-Day and plan to make a variety of Mexican dips. Probably a taco beer cheese dip similar to queso, some guacamole, and chips and salsa of course! Definitely going to use this queso as the base for my taco dip!
Maybe don’t watch the superbowl this year: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-will-remove-end-racism-end-zones-ahead-super-bowl-rcna190686
Use a candle warmer for the queso! Weird but totally works
Came here to congratulate on your writing skills and wanted to introduce my post with the words “I’ll probably never make cheese dip”. But then I thought…or will I? Anyhow, your writing is hilarious! And you have the ability to put people into a mild personal crisis debating whether cheese dip is the door to a life outside of rules.
A wobbly inch of Velveeta! I love it!
Texas here and I can attest the velveeta version you mentioned was a big part of my childhood! When my husband and I were in college – we would make a dinner of that queso, guacamole and and chips and enjoy a movie. Bananas to think about eating that huge block of cheese now. When we lived in Nashville for a while it was difficult to find good store bought queso, but now back in Austin there are endless options.
I’ve been seeing videos online of people using candle warmers to keep dips warm! Haven’t tried it but seems like a fun experiment :)
The *only* way to make homemade queso is with sodium citrate- it basically turns any cheese into a beautifully melting, Velveeta-style dip! And you can easily make it at home with baking soda and citric acid: https://www.chefsteps.com/forum/posts/sodium-citrate
I saw a trick recently to use Alka Seltzer (the version with no aspirin)
You need a vintage warming tray / hot plate! Plug it in, hot dip forever. These are also GOLD to have if you host potlucks, Thanksgiving, buffets, etc. Like this! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1497011367/vintage-warm-o-tray-60-electric-warming
Oh my gosh, I love queso so much, will definitely be trying this. My birthday was on Thanksgiving this year and my only food request was to have queso in some form. The local co-ops in Minnesota carry a brand called La Reina that is very good.
I don’t follow football, but I like the Super Bowl for the snacks. I’ve made queso with a combination of cheeses, including grated cheddar, asadero, or monterey jack. Some people add cream cheese, but I wouldn’t do that if using Velveeta. Queso Flameado is also fabulous, involving a slightly different technique, and eaten with tortillas.
Oh yeah – or the Commanders.
Here you go dairy free pals! https://minimalistbaker.com/cashew-less-vegan-queso/ I’ve made this queso many times and I’d lick it off the floor probably. It’s good. And no nuts which can be tough in dairy free recipes!
thank you !! this sounds delicious
Oh my goodness, thank you!! It’s hard being allergic to dairy and cashews. Plus one of our kids (an adventurous eater) despises eggplant. So naturally my husband and I try to trick her into eating it at every opportunity. This is perfect, lol!
Just wish it was Bills and or Lions playing Sunday. Love underdogs!
Go bills!!!
I spent a lot of time in Texas last year for work. 1. Queso was always ordered, always, by the local people I worked with. I think that was more popular than guac. 2. I desperately miss breakfast tacos. Desperately. And you’re right, typical Midwest queso doesn’t compare. Finally, I love your writing style, Alex!
Totally agree on Alex’s writing style!! So personable!
Loving Alex’s food posts!
I’m a fellow Texan who feels your plight on how to keep the queso hot. This wouldn’t be a solution for a giant bowl, but I’ve heard of people using those candle warmer lamps to keep queso hot, so I’m going to try that at some point.
mini crockpot for keeping queso warm :)
This is the answer!
Came here to say the same thing!! I am with you – fondue is a fon-don’t in these times of kitchen real estate scarcity – but a mini crockpot can be used for zillions of other things, earning it’s space in the kitchen. We’ve used ours for spinach artichoke dip, hot chocolate when you don’t need quarts on end, cooking steel cut oats overnight, cooking a small quash. Get into it!
Place a tea light on a fire proof surface. Put a metal trivet on top, and your pan on the trivet. Voilà! A fondue pot in all but name!
Yes!!! Came here to say this. Get yourself a teeny tiny crockpot or just borrow your mom’s and never return it, like I did! Hah! I’ve used it for queso, spinach artichoke dip, chocolate dip, you name it!. It’s great!!
I knew someone would already mention this! We have two minis – one for buffalo dip and one for queso. :)
Bingo! A friend also uses hers for mulled wine.
Ours is called the Lil’ Dipper and I love her.
yeah, I came in here specifically to add this – mini crockpot for the win! How else do people do this? Put it on warm once you’ve got your ingredients the way you want them, and there you go! Bonus, after you soak it and remove the bulk of the crusted on remnants, it can go in the dishwasher.
Fondue is a fon-don’t and borrowing your mom’s … thanks for the fun. Will be attempting to recycle the fon-don’t comical quality within a fondant frosting pun.
Yes! Though I just use my regular crockpot (and make a lot of queso lol)
Hilary… how do you cook a small sqaush in the crockpot…. game changer for weekday dinner. The people who were gifted one and have never used it, need to know! (….obviously now bringing it out on Sunday)
@Katy – I’m so excited for you! Here’s what you do: – put in a little bit of liquid. Could be marinara, could be broth, it hasn’t mattered too much in my experience. – cut your squash open (I like an acorn squash) and scoop out the center. – place it hole-side down and cook on high for 4-6 hours. The steam softens the tough outer skin, the liquid bubbles up inside and the whole thing is infused with the flavor and soft when done. This recipe shows with pictures and it’s a bigger squash, so a bigger crock pot obvs, but the same method works well in a smaller format! https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/crockpot-spaghetti-squash-meatballs/
In NM, we use a huge tub of green chile, a can of Rotel, and add in some browned sausage (browned ground beef works too if you aren’t a sausage fan). I unapologetically use a block of Velveeta for queso because it’s only only once a year that I allow myself to indulge. :)
I once went to a party and the host was a genius and had little ramekins of queso for each guest sitting in a hot water bath plus a ladle for a warm crockpot full of queso on the counter so we could serve ourselves when we wanted more. It was the daintiest way to eat queso I’ve seen and I hope to replicate it one day when I can figure out how to be organized and plan ahead.
Came here to say that Alex’s writing is so delightful, but this comment is the second best thing I’ve read all day. Your friend should win a special category James Beard award for that presentation.
To the question of how to keep it warm, I have seen a mini crockpot that can be used for keeping the queso warm, though this might be along the same lines as the fondue pot. “Eat quickly” could be another option :)
This sounds so goood… but my very midwestern husband got me into velveeta based queso and I don’t know if I can ever go back! I had literally never had velveeta until I met him hahahahah
queso aint a recipe!
For some of us who didn’t grow up with it, it is! And a welcome one at that! Thank Alex for sharing the joy!
“Knock, knock” “Who’s there?” “Nacho cheese” “Nacho cheese who?” “That is nacho cheese, so give it back!” (This was my son’s favorite joke when he was 5; I recommend sharing it with any 5-year-olds in your life.)
Oh queso. I used to work by a place that made the best queso and it was so delightful when somebody brought it back and would share! Bless good coworkers.
I was just thinking about making queso for the Superbowl, but had no idea how to make it at home! You rock, Alex!!!
melt some velveeta, asdd japenos.
Even though I am a dairy-centric Midwesterner, I might still need a t-shirt that reads,”That’s growing up in Texas, Sweetcheeks!”. Unless, of course, you’re saving that for title of your memoir, Alex!
“For a dairy-centric culture, Midwesterners are surprisingly lacking in good restaurant queso; I have to fill the void.“ Ha ha! Growing up on the southwest, where most of our friends and neighbors had Mexican heritage, I take good queso (and all good Mexican food) for granted. Recently my husband and I traveled to Rhode Island for the first time and we were floored when a diner where ate brunch didn’t have any salsa. How are you supposed to eat scrambled eggs without salsa or Cholula or Tapatío?! Ha ha.
Pro tip: serve warm dips in a small cast iron skillet, since it retains heat well.
My keep it warm tip is a heating pad set on low covered with a pretty towel. Keeps foods warm without burning-set it & forget it party helper. I’ve used this setup for countless things. Queso dip is the bowl that magically disappears every gathering. My fav pairing is crunchy celery stalks.
Hillary, that heating pad idea is absolutely brilliant! Already thinking about what I can serve at my next gathering so I can use it! Thank you!😊
My pleasure, R. GH
Does the writer recommend adding all the spices? I don’t hold back and will dump all three options in unless told otherwise. If she has a “best spice” option. Please let me know which is her go to. Thank you!
I’m not the writer but as a native Texan / queso aficionado, I recommend chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder or just some scoops of taco seasoning from the packet.
I would pick one. Chipotles in adobo will add a nice smoky flavor, that’s the one I would choose!
This! I have been searching for the perfect spicy queso. I will definitely be making it this weekend. Thank you!
If anyone is interested , I found out the high protein, cottage cheese version works really well too ! Use same flavorings i.e. garlic/garlic powder, cumin, adobo sauce and blend together with cottage cheese ..yum!
Um, no.
This reply made me actually LOL. Cottage cheese “queso”?! Sacrilege!
I bet it’s good!
I like cottage cheese with black pepper, so I’m open to trying! It could be delicious!
Alex Beggs, you are so entertaining and funny!!!!! I knew I loved you the day you shared the story and photo of your worst hair day, and you just keep bringing it!!! How do you manage to make a queso recipe so hilarious and cute??? What a wonderful addition to the COJ team!!!
Yes! Alex, thanks for making food writing fun
I second that!
couldn’t agree more!
I like to keep it warm via double broiler method, then it doesn’t burn on the bottom. Recipe looks delicious! Go Birds
Go birds!
Ohhh I would love to eat that but also I will never do that because the thought of eating nachos or chips around other people eating nachos and chips in the same room is making me scream inside. Damn you misophonia, and bless you all you lovely people just munching and crunching blissfully. I envy you.
did you see this article in NYMag this week about misophonia? https://www.thecut.com/article/what-is-misophonia-chewing-sounds.html
similarly, the thought of people eating it over the communal bowl so if anything drops, it falls in the bowl (to not make a mess ?!?) is a nightmare
oh the horror of possible and inevitable double dipping !!
Anon, the Seinfeld episode comes to mind :)
Joanna, I didn’t, I also don’t have the subscription so I just read the intro and now I’m left hanging and dying to know- is it better or worse to label it – I need to adjust my strategy! :) For me personally it was SUCH a relief to know there are people just like me in that way because I had struggled to sit through any family meal since I was probably 10, I felt so weird and weirdly broken and also just … sad. I wanted to enjoy our meals! How come nobody else seems to be bothered?! So I felt EUPHORIC when I found out there are more of us, thank god for my fellow people! (Also thank god for my husband who loves me so much that when we eat chips together he waits for them to dissolve in his mouth hahaha he’s a gem.) Anyway It would be soo great to have the thing gone, or just … less intense maybe? So to anyone who’s read the piece, tell me- do we label or do we not label? I’ll take whatever works!
C G and Anon, serve your queso with a ladle and a stack of individual bowls next to it. No double dipping or dripping allowed!
Ania, I read it to find out for you! And the answer is….it depends. This answer is likely not satisfactory but the end line was by a researcher who has misophonia and has studied it. “Some people will find it incredibly helpful to have a label, even if it doesn’t lead to treatment or any kind of change. It’s just that I also think there’s some negative consequences for some people,” Foulkes says. “I sometimes wonder if I’d be better off not having the word.” (I do not know how to properly cite a comment but this was a quote by Lucy Foulkes who wrote this paper https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732118X2300003X and was quoted in the article)
I have awwwful misophonia – my hack is to always have music on during meals. doesn’t have to be loud enough to drown out the eating sounds, just has to be enough to give my ears another option. home stereo system, bluetooth speaker, whatever you got.
Can’t wait to try this, i’ve never made queso! Do you know there are mini crockpots whose sole purpose is keeping dips warm?! They come single, or in two’s or three’s for parties! Plug it in on your counter and keep your queso nice and melty-warm!
I have one of these and have NEVER used it… this is an obvious sign that i need to rectify that situation on Sunday.
I came here to suggest the Mini Crock Pot! This is what Midwesterners use to keep hot dips warm!
I came to suggest the same! Velveeta and Ro-Tel used to be on heavy rotation when I could still digest dairy. A can of chili beans is a good addition.
Bonus- Thrift stores always have mini crock pots. We got on for $7.
In February of 2020, I was very newly pregnant and not at all ready to share my news. And so that year for the Superbowl, we stayed home and made an EPIC tray of nachos. We were blissfully unaware of what was to come, both in parenting and the global pandemic. In Jan 2021,locked down, and with a little baby by our sides, Super Bowl Sunday we stayed home and ate ANOTHER EPIC TRAY OF SUPERBOWL NACHOS! And so the tradition has continued. I’m looking forward to adding this queso to our nacho tradition this year!
Also, political post coming up next! xoxo
Thank you for juggling all the things, Joanna!
Thank you! I love all the queso content but I’m also freaked the fuck out.
thank you. i just called and emailed my senators and congresspeople. they are so quiet. it may be too late too stop all this.
Thank you, Joanna! I appreciate the fun posts as well as the serious. We need joy amidst the hard work ahead. We also need to hold each other, and we need softness. I’m scared right now, but talking to people about it and remembering we can work together is powerful. This has been such a rough week. Hold your loved ones close.
You’re wonderful Jo, thank you. This blog contains multitudes and we are all so grateful x
here for it – queso sustains us for the fight to come!