This queso is smooth and flavorful, with just a little kick. It’s also full of tomatoes, onions & green chilies, and produce is always a plus.
The road to my grandparents’ house in backwoods Texas reminds me of a song in Hadestown:
Ain’t no compass, brother. Ain’t no map. Just a telephone wire and a railroad track.
We usually get there at night, and it really does look like the road to hell. Black, black sky with no stars, dusty dirt road that turns yellowish-white in the headlights, and scrubby, scratchy trees that look like they’re made of paper. There are foxes and deer and, if you’re unlucky, wild boars. The road goes over a creek that once had running water but has since dried up into rock and dust and overgrown weeds. The roads are winding, the turns tight. It feels like you’ve gone into the blank spaces on a map.
In reality, it’s only about half an hour away from an HEB. And even if you feel like you’ve gone off the edge off the world, you’re never very far from something good to eat. Mexican restaurants with blue tortilla chips, bakeries with apple pie muffins, grocery stores with queso poblano sausages.
Queso is a Texas classic. At its absolute simplest form, it consists of one block of Velveeta and one can of Rotel. But that’s not really a recipe, and I like to include some real cheese in with the processed stuff. You don’t want to skip the Velveeta altogether—that’s what gives it the signature smooth and creamy texture! I like to use fire-roasted Rotel tomatoes & green chilies instead of the regular ones, some grated extra sharp cheddar and pepper jack, and hot sauce. Cilantro is a controversial ingredient, so leave it in if you like it and leave it out if you don’t. I usually chop tomato and add it on top, but by the time I got to that point I was too hungry and decided to skip it! However, I definitely recommend adding some.
This queso is smooth and flavorful, with just a little kick. It’s also full of tomatoes, onions & green chilies, and produce is always a plus.
Making it could not be easier. First, you cook the onion in the butter until it’s starting to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Then you add the tomatoes & green chilies, sprinkle in some salt, and cook it all together for another couple of minutes. Velveeta cubes are next—it melts very easily, especially if you stir continuously. Then the milk, and the grated cheeses. You’ll want to add the cheeses one handful at a time and make sure it’s totally incorporated before adding the next handful—this keeps the sauce smooth. All that’s left after that is the hot sauce, salt, and the garnishes. Easy! As always, it’s important to salt to taste.
I am not going to lie: I ate this directly out of the pan for lunch. With Texas-shaped tortilla chips, obviously. My mom bought them partly because she thought they were cute and partly because, like any Texan, she thought it was important that everybody on here knows my heritage.
texas-sized queso
serves 4-5
time: ~30 minutes or less
ingredients
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
1 (15 oz) can Rotel fire-roasted tomatoes and green chilies (undrained)
salt
8 oz velveeta, cubed
3/4 cups milk (I used whole)
4 oz extra sharp cheddar, grated
4 oz pepper jack, grated
2 tablespoons hot sauce
cilantro, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)
tomato, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)
tortilla chips, to serve
directions
- Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, add onion, and cook about 7 minutes or until onion is softening. Pour in the tomatoes and green chillies and sprinkle everything generously with salt. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add cubes of Velveeta and stir until they’re melted. This will take a few minutes.
- Add in the milk, and then whisk in the other cheeses a handful at a time. It’s important to make sure each handful is incorporated before adding another one. If it gets too thick, add more milk to thin it out to your desired consistency. Stir in hot sauce, and salt to taste.
- Garnish with fresh red onion, cilantro, and tomato, and serve with tortilla chips.
