White Queso Dip Recipe
This white cheese dip is what I serve at every tailgating party, every summer bbq, and every night where Im simply craving cheese. I have a lot of cheesy dips on this site, but this Queso Blanco is HANDS DOWN my favorite.
Ive made dips of all kinds, from Chicken Enchilada Dip to Vegan Queso. I love them all and each one has their place, but this recipe is my go-to. This makes the perfect appetizer for any meal.
As a rule, I almost always make Homemade Tortilla Chips for dipping. Its worth the extra time it takes to make them , and bonus: theyre baked and not fried!
Tips For Cheese Sauce Success
Here are a few tips to help make sure your nacho cheese sauce is a success:
- Make sure to cook the flour in the butter for one minute. This helps cook out the floury flavor.
- Use medium cheddar for smoother results. Sharp cheddar tends to break or become grainy easier than medium cheddar.
- Remove the pot from the heat before stirring in the cheese. Overheating the sauce once the cheese has been added can cause the sauce to seize up and become thick and/or grainy. If needed, use only low heat to help the cheese fully melt.
- Use block cheese and hand shred it when possible. Pre-shredded cheeses sometimes contain a lot of anti-caking powders, which can cause a powdery flavor in your cheese sauce.
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
/4origin Of Cheesy Dip
Cheese dip is said to be invented by Blackie Donelly, owner of Mexico Chiquito restaurants. It is hard to say if Donelly’s recipe for cheese dip was the first but it is still famous for its unique taste. However, there have been claims that cheese dip was invented in Mexico, hence it should be considered an authentic Mexican food. We all know that Mexican cuisine has many dishes that involve cheese as fillings or as topping for tortillas, but food experts say it is debatable. Did you know that there is a World Cheese Dip Championship held in Arkansas? It started in 2010 and has been held every year since. It is one of the best food festivals. Now, let us start with a simple and easy to make recipe of Cheesy dip.
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How To Make Cheese Sauce Step By Step Photos
Start by placing 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour in a small sauce pot.
Heat the flour and butter over medium flame and whisk together until they become bubbly and foamy. Continue whisking for about 60 seconds. This mixture is called a roux and is what will thicken your sauce. Letting the roux cook for about 60 seconds slightly toasts the flour and gets rid of that raw floury flavor, but you want it to stay blonde, so if it begins to brown, remove it from the heat.
Whisk in one cup of whole milk. Turn the heat up slightly and let it come to a simmer . Because the small volume, it should come to a simmer very quickly .
When it reaches a simmer, the milk will thicken. When its thick enough to coat a spoon like in the photo, turn off the heat.
Whisk in 6oz. shredded medium cheddar, one hand full at a time, until it is melted into the sauce. If needed, put the pot back over a low flame to help it melt, but the residual heat should do most of the work.
Finally, season the sauce with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp chili powder.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if needed. And thats it! Now you have real ingredient, really delicious, homemade nacho cheese sauce.
This post either just ruined your life or made your day. Or maybe both.
Does This Stay Smooth And Creamy As It Cools
The evaporated milk helps this Mexican cheese dip stay creamy, but it will still harden as it cools . So if youre not going to be inhaling this in 10 minutes, follow these tips to keep it nice and warm .
To keep it warm:
- After making it, move it into a slow cooker and set it to WARM. You can easily serve the dip straight out of the crock pot, AND keep it warm, smooth, and creamy through the whole party.
- Otherwise, just heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir generously once it starts to get cold.
- It reheats beautifully after refrigerating too! Add a bit of milk while stirring and reheating on the stove to help hydrate it and add creaminess back in.
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Make Ahead + Keep Warm
Make ahead: Prepare as directed, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, simply heat back up on the stove or in the microwave.
Keep warm: This cheese sauce is great served right from the stove, but if its going to be more than 10 minutes before I serve it, I like to transfer to a mini crockpot to keep warm.
How To Make Queso Dip
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Velveeta Cheese Dip Equipment
Before making Velveeta Cheese Dip youll need to ensure you have the correct equipment and supplies in your kitchen. Weve linked the ingredients and supplies below on Amazon to make your online shopping experience easy.
- 450gVelveetacut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 200gshredded Oaxacan queso
- 200gshredded Jalapeno Havarti
- 100gKraft Imperial Cheese
- 1cupmilk
How To Reheat Nacho Cheese:
Heat the leftover nacho cheese in a skillet over medium low heat until melted and warm. Add 2 tbsp of water and whisk until the cheese looks smooth and creamy again . If the sauce is still too thick and doesnt flow well, add more liquid and whisk again. Do not reheat nacho cheese in the microwave.
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Walk On The Wild Side With Queso Blanco
White queso is a popular alternative to yellow queso, and it is typically flavored with some onions and green chile. Its a zesty and creamy cheese dip that is easy to put together and is the perfect addition to any party menu.
Its creamy smooth, delightfully spicy and everyone will be totally addicted to scooping it up with a big pile of tortilla chips. Other great dipping options are triangles of flour tortillas or assorted veggies.
Tips For The Best Cheese Dip
- The cheese dip will be a little runny at first, but will nicely thicken as it cools. With that said, this dip is best enjoyed right after making.
- You can always scale down the ingredients for a smaller party or make a double batch for a bigger game day get-together.
- Buy the best quality cheddar cheese you can for the best flavor.
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How To Make Cheese Sauce For Pretzels
MELT. Add butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour on top of the butter and cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring. It should form a thick paste. Then whisk in the milk until slightly thickened.
STIR. Remove from heat and slowly begin to mix in the shredded cheese until smooth. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. If you need to thicken it down a bit, add a few Tablespoons of warm milk.
STORE. Pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Hot Gooey Melted Cheese
I love this seriously easy cheddar cheese dip rich, hot gooey and unctuous, its perfect for an evening on the sofa with a box set.
Serve with crisps, crackers, crusty bread or raw vegetable crudités and just dip! Share with friends or keep it all to yourself!
In the past, I have followed elaborate instructions for fancy cheese fondue with gorgeous results, but this super easy hot cheese dip recipe is my new favourite. Quick and simple, its great for a friends and family fondue night without the need for a fancy fondue pan.
The secret to this easy hot dip is using cornflour. It thickens the sauce and gives that lovely takeout-style gloopyness.
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How To Make Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip At Home
Everyone loves cranberry cream cheese dip. What a combo of sweet, tart, and salty flavors it is! Today, I will share the recipe for homemade cranberry cream cheese dip that can literally be prepared in about ten minutes.
Since this cranberry cream cheese dip is both savory and sweet, it pairs equally well with salty cookies and sweet apple slices. I also relish dipping in chunks of bread in a bowl of the cranberry dip and having it as my evening snack. For best results, I recommend making it fresh. It can also be stored in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
The first in making cranberry cream cheese is to wash the berries and boil them with sugar, water and salt in a pot for 5 minutes. Then, simmer for 5 minutes and refrigerate them. At last, pour the sauce to cream cheese and garnish with green onions.
So, lets see how this amazing dip can be made at home without having to spend money on ready-made dips. Add some more flavors to your lives with this savory and sweet dip. Check out the ingredients first, followed by the step-by-step recipe. Before that, check out the other sauce recipes as well.
1. Texas BBQ Sauce This is a combination of sweet and spicy. It has a bold taste which makes it best to be paired with meats like chicken, pork, and beef. This sauce is rich in flavor and worth all the efforts that go into making it.
Spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce
This is my favorite recipe for cheese dipping sauce. This spicy nacho cheese sauce is absolutely awesome with veggies, soft pretzels, and nachos! None of that processed stuff, either.
Seriously! What is better than a bowl of silky, creamy, spicy nacho cheese sauce? Nothing. A far cry from processed, this spicy nacho cheese sauce is to die for. I love serving it with soft pretzel bites or pouring on top of a big bowl of broccoli. Its how I get everyone to their vegetables. Just kidding but not really.
Making nacho cheese sauce at home is not difficult. Its actually one of the easiest and quickest little recipes around. There is no excuse to buy anything from a can or from a jar. Homemade cheese sauce, made from real sharp cheddar cheese, is the only way to go. Plus, it tastes worlds better.
I love serving this spicy nacho cheese sauce right from the stove when its warm. But this cheese sauce keeps well covered tightly in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Just heat it up before serving its a great item to make ahead before the guests arrive.
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Why This Is Life Changing
This Queso Dip recipe is for everyone out there who has attempted to make a Mexican cheese dip like what you get at Mexican restaurants and found it lacking. If you want the dip to be silky smooth like the stuff you get in jars, then the recipes call for fake cheese Velveeta or other processed cheeses.
Other recipes are made starting with a roux butter & flour which is used to make a béchamel sauce into which cheese is added. While this makes a terrific cheese sauce for pouring over vegetables, in lasagna, gratins etc, it doesnt have that truly silky and rich texture of a cheese dip.
Some recipes call for real cheese and varying combinations of cream / sour cream / mayonnaise but the problem with these is that when the dip cools down, the cheese congeals. Its super tasty but you need to keep it warm. And it has a tendency to split when rewarmed.
The solution? Evaporated milk + cornflour/cornstarch + cheese = silky smooth rich cheese dip / sauce. Truly. It works.
Actually, I shared Nachos Cheese Dip a couple of years ago which is a simpler version of this dip. This Queso Dip is my copycat of the fake cheese dip I tried in Canada and the ultra addictive dips served at Tex Mex restaurants in America.
Dont make this Queso Dip when youre home alone. Im supposed to be on my Post Holiday Health Kick and its taken astronomical will power to hold back.
Ive got 3 batches of this Mexican Cheese Dip in my fridge. Im planning to offload them tomorrow. Nagi x
How To Make Nacho Cheese:
Start by melting some butter in a skillet:
Whisk in an equal amount of flour until combined:
This is called a roux, and it will thicken our sauce.
Next whisk in some milk, and season with salt and cayenne pepper:
I like the heat that the cayenne gives, but you could also add paprika if you prefer.
Once the milk heats through, the mixture should be thick and bubbly.
Now turn off the heat and add freshly grated cheddar cheese:
The freshly grated cheese is important, because pre-shredded cheeses in bags usually have things like powdered cellulose that are there to prevent caking. Those will make your sauce grainy, so make sure you actually buy a block of cheddar and grate it yourself. It only takes a few minutes.
Whisk gently until it melts and smooths out into a creamy, wonderful sauce:
It should have a flowy texture that runs and drips off the spoon in an even ribbon:
If at any point the nacho cheese gets too thick and doesnt run off the spoon, just add more water or milk, and whisk to combine. It will smooth out again beautifully.
Basically what happens is when you cook the mixture on the stovetop, you run the risk of cooking too much moisture off, so you just have to add more. No big deal!
Pour over chips and devour.
For more game day food, try these incredible baked Chicken Wings, Buffalo Garlic Knots, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip, or Garlic Parmesan Wings.
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How Do You Make A Smooth Cheese Sauce
To get the smoothest cheese sauce possible, follow these golden rules:
- Use full-fat cheese that you grate yourself as bagged cheese has additives that can prevent it from melting smoothly.
- Let the shredded cheese sit at room temperature for a short time so youre not putting cold cheese into hot liquid.
- Remove the sauce from heat before you stir in the cheese. Overheated cheese can clump.
How To Make Queso
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Tips And Tricks For Making Queso
- Buy block cheese instead of the pre-shredded kind. The pre-shredded cheese at the grocery store is often covered with additives that are meant to reduce clumping, which doesnt always produce the best texture when melted.
- For the creamiest results, use 2% or whole milk.
- I prefer adding the canned diced tomatoes and green chiles at the end because it keeps the tomatoes from getting too mushy.
- If the queso dip is too thick, stir in a splash of milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
Easy Ingredients For Creamy Cheese Sauce:
With just 4 simple and familiar ingredients, you can make a cheese sauce that is so tasty you will want to drizzle it on everything! Basic ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry and fridge will combine easily and make a creamy sauce everyone will enjoy.
- Butter: Gives the sauce rich flavor.
- Flour: Thickens the sauce.
- Milk: Thins the sauce out a bit and adds sweet flavor.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Freshly grated cheese will melt better and give a stronger flavor than the coated shredded cheese you can buy in a bag at the store.
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