Zesty chile con queso

Spicy Homemade Cheesey Queso Dip with Tortilla Chips

A Cinco de Mayo celebration would be incomplete without this spicy cheese dip. Once you see how easy the creamy homemade version is to make, you’ll never reach for the store-bought kind again.

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons canned chopped green chilies
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk, room temperature
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
• 9 ounces aged cheddar cheese, grated
• 4-1/2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 4-1/2 ounces cream cheese softened and cut into cubes
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Directions
1. In a large pot, melt half the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and chopped green chilies and cook for about five minutes, stirring regularly. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

2. In the same pot, melt the remaining butter. Add the flour and whisk until well combined.

3. In a bowl, combine the cream and milk. Pour slowly into the butter-flour mixture, whisking continually.

4. Lower the heat and slowly add the grated cheese while continuing to whisk. When all the cheese is melted, add the cream cheese and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.

5. Stir in the cooked onion mixture, tomato, lime juice, spices, and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Garnish with a bit of homemade salsa and serve hot with tortilla chips.

It’s best to grate your own cheese for this recipe. While convenient, the pre-grated cheese sold at grocery stores can make your queso grainy because of the starches added to ensure the packaged cheese doesn’t clump together.