"ChileConQueso" news and stories

Ro*Tel's Queso Dip Recipe. Photo: ConAgra Foods

"What the hell is that?" is the first question many non-Texans ask when they see the goopy Southwestern cheese dip chile con queso (queso for short and pronounced "kay-so"). The prevalent and heralded form of queso is a mixture of Velveeta and Ro*Tel canned tomatoes and chiles. It's usually orange, flecked with red and green chiles, and a crust forms when the dip begins to cool. At the risk of being run out of town: What's so good about that?

When queried, this writer's wife, a Texas native, her relatives and friends answer along the lines of "it's just so good!" Queso is good; so is cow's brains. Queso is creamy and spicy and won't run off a tortilla chip like other salsas. Crucial to understanding the dip is the facility with which it is prepared. Ready in five minutes, it's a fiesta favorite. Are there Texans at a party you're hosting? Whip out the queso and welcome the adulation. "It's just so good!"

Another reason is Lone Star pride. "Texans have a special place in their hearts for queso and Ro*Tel. Both originated in the state," says Mike Locascio, vice president and general manager at ConAgra Foods, Ro*Tel's manufacturer.

This cheese dip recipe has been in my family for years. My mom made it all the time when I was a kid. If I remember correctly, she got the recipe from my one of my aunts. It's really easy to make and it goes fast, so make plenty of it.

Your shopping list for chile con queso must include some kind of white melting cheese. I use two eight ounce blocks of pepper jack. I know there are better cheeses out there for melting purposes but pepper jack is what we've always used and I don't want to be one to break tradition. You'll also need one large tomato or two smaller ones, an onion (I use yellow sweet onions), one four ounce can of diced green chilies, about a quarter cup of milk and and the same for a beer of your choice. You'll also need tortilla chips for eating the cheese dip.

To make this chile con queso, dice the onions fairly small and sweat them with the diced green chilies in vegetable oil until they are tender. Add the diced up tomatoes (I like them a little chunkier) and let them cook just a little bit. Cut the cheese up into small pieces and add that on medium low heat, letting it slowly melt all the way. Traditionally, the last thing to add is a little milk to smooth everything out. However, I recently found out that adding alcohol helps homogenize cheese mixtures, so now I add a little bit of beer. The best way to eat chile con queso is to pour some over tortilla chips. Keep the cooking vessel over low heat for best continued service as it re-solidifies quickly.

Some kind of cheese dip is traditional for any Super Bowl party. You don't have to make one using any kind of cheese "product" for it to be good and easy. Chile con queso is an easy dish to make and, best of all, is made of real, unprocessed food. Hopefully your family will love it as much as mine does!