Green Chile Queso

Green Chile Queso is my #1 choice for snacking on New Year’s Eve! This recipe doesn’t use any Velveeta and comes together fast. With a silky, smooth texture and a tiny bit of spice, I highly recommend you give this Queso a try!

My daughters and I are obsessed with the Chipotle queso and after some trial and error, I came up with a recipe we like even better!

Green Chiles

This queso uses two green chiles: Poblano and Jalapeño. Neither of these chiles are very high on the spice scale, but add a ton of flavor to the dip. Here they are side by side:

Did you know that the smaller a pepper is, the spicier it is? Also most of the spice in a pepper is found in the seeds and the membranes, so I like to remove these from the peppers before adding them to the queso. If you like a little spice, you might want to leave some of the seeds behind.

Roasting a Poblano Pepper

I like the additional flavor a roasted pepper adds to this dip. And while you can make this dip without roasting the pepper first, it’s a lot easier to roast peppers than you’d imagine. You can either broil it on a baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes until charred or you can roast it over an open flame (on a gas stove or a grill). I roasted this poblano pepper on my stove, so I want to take a minute to show you how it’s done.

Start by putting the pepper right on the lit burner. (I know my stove is dirty, I hope we can still be friends!) Char the pepper on all sides, turning with a pair of tongs as needed. You will hear the pepper crackle and pop as it roasts. This whole process only takes about 2-3 minutes.

Once the pepper is blackened on all sides…

……place in a ziplock bag and let rest for about 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the queso ingredients.

Remove the pepper from the bag and using a spoon or the dull side of a knife, gently scrape most of the char off of the pepper. Do not rinse the roasted pepper with water because this removes some of the flavor.

The Cheese

As I mentioned earlier, this queso doesn’t have any Velveeta in it. Instead, the recipe calls for shredded American cheese and a mixture of whole milk and cornstarch. These ingredients give this queso a silky, smooth texture that can’t be beat!

Start by shredding 8 ounces of yellow American cheese. The easiest way to find this ingredient it to go to the deli counter in the grocery store and ask for an 8 ounce chunk of American cheese. They usually look slightly confused at first and then cut off a chunk for me – haha!

The American cheese, along with a mixture of whole milk, water, and cornstarch make the queso super smooth!

The Spices

Most of the flavor of this queso comes from the peppers, but I like to add a pinch of smoked paprika and kosher salt as well.

Assembling the Queso

Start by sautéing the onions and jalapeños in a little butter. To the softened veggies, add the diced poblano pepper (if not roasting the pepper, add it at the beginning with the onion and jalapeño).

To the veggies, add the cornstarch mixture and spices. Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add shredded cheese. Stir until melted.

Enjoy!!

Green Chile Queso

1 tablespoon salted butter
2 tablespoon diced onion
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, roasted (seeded and diced small)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
8 ounces yellow American cheese, grated (found at the deli counter)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

Sauté the onion and jalapeño in the bottom of a small saucepan. Once soft (about 5 minutes), add the roasted pepper and garlic.

Whisk the milk, water, and cornstarch in a small measuring cup. Pour this mixture into the sautéed veggies and stir over medium-low heat just until thickened. Add spices and remove from heat. Add shredded cheese and stir until smooth and melted. Add cilantro, if using. Serve immediately with tortilla chips!