I love cheese—it’s right there in my writer’s bio if you don’t believe me. Cheese of basically any variety is a delicious and satisfying snack. What could be better? Well, what if we added heat to the cheese and scooped it up with salty tortilla chips. Sounds like heaven, no? Fortunately, other people have had this brainwave too and created queso. But what is queso? What’s it made of? Why am I not eating it right now? Let’s take a look.
What is queso?
Literally Spanish for “cheese,” as in, a quesadilla—queso typically refers to a hot cheese dip that is frequently eaten with tortilla chips. Mexican and Tex Mex restaurants often feature it on their appetizer menu, having figured out that many people enjoy eating straight cheese before, during, and after a meal.
What is in queso?
If you’re wondering what is queso made of, you needn’t look much further than the name. It’s mostly cheese. Beyond that, there is usually tomato, onion, and jalapeños or chiles for some added heat. Add in evaporated milk and cornstarch for thickening, and viola! You’ve got queso. Pretty simple for how delicious it is.
There’s actually not one type of cheese that is always used in queso. A classic Texas recipe would use Velveeta, but if that’s not your jam, there are many other cheeses you can use. Queso fresco is a popular Mexican cheese that is often used, and many recipes will call for American cheese and/or pepper jack, though I’ve even heard tell of mozzarella making an appearance in queso recipes. As long as it melts, it’s a contender.
Queso fundido is just like queso—a bowl of melted cheese—with one crucial addition: crumbled chorizo. Chorizo, if you’re unaware, is a spiced sausage. When you put these ingredients together, you’ve got queso fundido, a more toothsome and meaty version of classic queso.
Is queso gluten free?
Queso can be made gluten free, for sure, and there’s nothing inherently gluten-y about cheese, onions, or peppers. Some queso recipes, however, do use flour as a thickener, which is certainly not gluten free. As ever, be sure to double check if you’re trying to avoid gluten.
Is queso keto?
In general, cheese is a good option for those on a keto diet because it’s high in protein and fat and low in carbs. The same goes for queso, although not every queso recipe is guaranteed to be keto-friendly; some types of queso use flour or cornstarch to thicken them, and those would not be considered keto-friendly ingredients.
Is queso spicy?
As with salsa, there’s a range of spice-levels available for queso. It’s possible to buy or make very mild queso that doesn’t have any more heat than a block of cheese. It’s also possible to get super spicy queso that can melt your taste buds off. Be sure to check the ingredients and read the label beforehand to get a sense of how spicy your dip is about to be.
What kind of cheese is queso? There's actually not one type of cheese that is always used in queso. A classic Texas recipe would use Velveeta, but if that's not your jam, there are many other cheeses you can use.
Besides Asadero Cheese and Queso Quesadilla Cheese, Oaxaca Cheese, and Queso Fresco Cheese are both other options of Mexican cheese that work for this queso dip recipe.
Queso fresco has a bolder, tangier flavor than mozzarella cheese but is smoother and saltier than that of goat cheese. It is used in several classic Mexican dishes such as tacos and bean dishes. Using queso fresco cheese on any dish can give it a cheese accent making it tastier.
Queso asadero is Mexican cheese that's great for melting. It is soft, white and creamy with a mild taste, and is often used to make pizzas, quesadillas and queso fundido.
You'll often see Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses in Tex-Mex recipes, but you won't find it in authentic cuisine. The two most commonly used for cooking in Mexico is queso fresco and queso Oaxaca.
For making queso, a good substitute for white American cheese is Monterey Jack cheese. It has a similar texture and melting properties, and it also has a mild flavor that complements the other ingredients in the dish.
Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points make for mouthwatering, creamy cheese sauces. Cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options.
For a smooth queso, I recommend using a mild or sharp (my preference) white or yellow cheddar cheese. You could also use extra sharp, but I found that tended to make the queso a little grainy. Corn chips.
Although these two cheeses are commonly confused for each other, they have a few key differences. While queso fresco is made with rennet and bacterial cultures that separate the milk into whey and curd, queso blanco simplifies things even further by using lemon juice or vinegar to achieve the same result.
This soft white cheese is a fresh cheese made with cow's milk, goat milk, or a combination of the two. It is sold in small rectangular pieces similar in size to adobo bricks, which is why it is also known as adobera. Queso fresco comes from Jalisco, in the western part of Mexico.
Everyone loves this Old El Paso blend of Monterey jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, and Asadero cheeses. These four savory cheeses come together for a fiesta in every bite. The gooey goodness is the perfect mix for your favorite Mexican and Southwestern recipes.
White queso dip is traditionally made with monterey jack and/or queso fresco (skim milk cheese). However, you can use any white cheese that you'd like! Goat cheese adds wonderful flavor to white queso dip.
Queso fresco gets soft when heated, but it's difficult to melt. You can melt it over low heat for a while in order to make a cheesy dip or sauce, but it may remain chunky. In its soft state, it is commonly used as part of a filling for chiles relleños (stuffed chiles), quesadillas, and burritos.
In just 5 minutes with just 5 ingredients, have restaurant-worthy homemade queso right in your kitchen! Made with real Pepper Jack cheese to add a little kick to this creamy, smooth, irresistible cheese dip!
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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