Chile Con Queso Recipe | LaaLoosh (2024)

FAQs

Why put evaporated milk in queso? ›

Evaporated milk works best in queso because it doesn't have that excess of water and it can help your dip reach a delicate balance between super thick and too thin. (As in you're not constantly having to alternate between adding more milk and then more cheese.)

Chile con queso ( lit. 'chile with cheese'), sometimes simply called queso, is an appetizer or side dish of melted cheese and chili peppers, typically served in Tex-Mex restaurants as a dip for tortilla chips.

Most quesos are smooth or have small chunks of whatever pepper gives them their heat; salsa con queso, however, includes the chunks of a salsa (tomatoes, onion, peppers, etc.) that can make for a more robust flavor profile.

Place cheese, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until cheese is melted. Add green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper; stir until smooth. Thin with more milk if sauce is too thick.

For dips, you'll want to use a tablespoon of cornstarch per pound of cheese, then add at least five ounces of evaporated milk. After that, you can use more evaporated milk to thin out your dip as much as you need.

Making a slurry with cornstarch and cold milk is how you will thicken your queso.

Creamy Texture: The melted cheese and dairy components in queso give it a creamy, smooth texture that can be very satisfying to dip tortilla chips, vegetables, or even bread into.

Literally Spanish for “cheese,” as in, a quesadilla—queso typically refers to a hot cheese dip that is frequently eaten with tortilla chips.

Queso fresco

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.

Why is salsa con queso so good? ›

makes this dip superior to other cheese dips is that it also contains salsa (SAY WHAAAAAT?!), which gives the dip extra flavor and texture. This is the medium version, and I think I would have enjoyed the hot version even more - especially if the salsa was hot.

Salsa is lower in calories, with no fat and has many beneficial vitamins. Our recommendation? Don't avoid queso or guacamole in moderation (they're delicious!), but if you want a flavorful, low-calorie snack you can fill up on without added guilt, grab some salsa.

It's full of flavor and uses all fresh ingredients. You can substitute half-and-half for the heavy whipping cream if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

But Not Too Much Heat: The thing is, once cheese is heated too far beyond its melting point, the proteins firm up and squeeze out moisture—the same way protein does in meat. When this occurs you're left with rubbery, clumpy bits of cheese protein that separate from the fat and moisture.

White queso dip from a restaurant usually is on the thinner side. If you want a thicker queso dip, only add 1 ½ cups of milk instead of the full 2 cups. Serve warm with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Those starch molecules thicken the sauce, while the concentrated milk proteins from the evaporated milk add that signature dairy flavor, without all the water you'd get from cream or regular milk. Translation? Smooth, shiny, perfectly emulsified cheese that doesn't clump, taste floury, or break into greasy pools.

This old-school pantry staple brings velvety texture to soups, makes decadent desserts, prevents curdling in milk-based sauces, and even tenderizes proteins.

I'd try an oat milk or almond milk creamer. Make sure it's not sweetened or flavored though.

Why Evaporated Milk Makes Better Mac. That higher concentration of milk proteins means evaporated milk is more stable, so it's less likely to “break” or curdle. Evaporated milk also usually contains stabilizers, such as carrageenan, which help keep your mac's sauce super smooth and silky.