Cheesy, creamy, incredibly smooth with just the right amount of ‘kick,’ this Queso Blanco is the perfect dip for Cinco De Mayo!
Anytime I think of Cinco De Mayo, I’m brought back to my sophomore year of high school in Spanish class when my teacher made us sing a song about the day. All I can remember is that most of the 15/16 year olds in the class were very reluctant to sing a song, and it was awkward. Very awkward.
While Cinco De Mayo in high school meant being required to awkwardly sing songs, today it means an excuse to eat all of my favorite Mexican foods. If I had to pick any cuisine to eat for life, Mexican would probably be it (with Italian coming in as a close second, in case you wanted to know). Tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas, salsa, guacamole, tortas, you name it, I love it. Another food I love… dips! So if I combine my love for all things Mexican with dips, I’m left with… Queso Blanco.
Queso Blanco is just spanish for white cheese. In restaurants, Queso Blanco is a white cheesy dip typically served with chips or tortillas. I love the stuff, and decided for Cinco De Mayo this year, that I’d make it fresh at home. Cheesy, creamy, incredibly smooth, with just the right amount of ‘kick’, this dip is SO so simple to make. I’m talking’ under 10 minutes. And did I mention it’s smooth and creamy? I did? Well let me reemphasize that. I couldn’t get over just how smooth and creamy this dip is which is what makes a fantastic queso blanco.
Aside from using this Queso Blanco as a dip, I plan to use it on chorizo and potato burritos that I’ll be making later today. It’s pretty versatile and can be used in SO many different ways!
Please, go make yourself some of this super simple, super creamy and delicious Queso Blanco and have a Happy Cinco De Mayo!
Notes: For this dip, I went to the deli at the grocery store and asked for a 1 lb chunk of White American Cheese, then shredded it when I got home and it worked perfectly.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound white american cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup half and half (more if desired)
- 1/2-1 tablespoon oil
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, diced
- 1/4 of a small onion, diced
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Tortilla chips
DIRECTIONS
- In a large skillet, heat oil, then sauté’ jalapeño and onion until the pepper is tender and the onion is translucent.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add in all of the shredded white american cheese and stir constantly.
- When the cheese is nearly melted, begin stirring in half and half. I used about 1/2 cup to get the desired consistency. Use more or less to get the consistency that you’re looking for.
- Add in diced tomato, chopped cilantro, and black pepper. Stir until everything is incorporated and the dip is smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips, tortillas, or veggies.
- Enjoy!
I can’t tell you HOW excited I am to try this. I love queso and never thought about making it at home. Thank you!
Yay! It is SO easy Hailey, enjoy! :)
Is there any reason I couldn’t make this with (hand shredded) cheddar and mozzarella? I realize it would no longer be “blanco”, but it’s what I have on hand.
Hi Melanie,
You could try it, but my guess is that it’s not going to be as creamy as it would be if you used American Cheese. For whatever reason, it just melts better. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! :)
Nope, you were right. I would not describe the result as creamy and it was really difficult to get it to blend smoothly. I ended up putting it in my Ninja processor after it was heated and that helped at the time, but overnight in the refrigerator pretty much did it in.