Chile Con Queso

Last updated on June 2nd, 2018 at 11:16 am

This Chile Con Queso is delicious, spicy, silky, super cheesy and perfect for a crowd! It’s the dip that you’ll be asked for over and over again at all gatherings.

Now that the craziness of Christmas running around is over, we can slow down and focus on New Year’s eve. I don’t know about you, but hubs and I usually stay in and relax, watch some movies, drink some champagne and we’re lucky if we can actually make it till midnight. If we do, we toast our champagne glasses, take a sip, turn off the tv and off to bed we go.

This is what happens when you get old. Just saying.

I also don’t cook big extravagant meals for our New Year’s eve but I do make some appetizers, many of which I’ve already shared with you, but one thing I like to do is make dips. I love dips because I can feel healthy eating them if I use some veggies to dip in, but let’s be serious here, tortilla chips or crackers are my weapon of choice.

One of these such dips that I love is this super simple chile con queso dip which can be ready in 25 minutes start to finish. What can be better than a hot and cheesy dip that’s got some beef in there, so this makes up for not making that fancy dinner, lots of fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles and jalapenos. So you see, I am also getting my veggies in. It’s all in how I justify it, at least to myself.

But this is that kind of dip that you just can’t stop eating. Every bite is addicting, every bite makes you wanting more. But that’s ok, the New Year’s resolution of eating healthy is coming. Again this is how I justify this to myself.

Try some homemade Baked Zucchini Chips with this dip!

I hope you try this and I wish you all a Happy New Year! I’ll be back in January, until then Bon Appetit!

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

Chile Con Queso

This Chile Con Queso is delicious, spicy, silky, super cheesy and perfect for a crowd! It's the dip that you'll be asked for over and over again at all gatherings.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: appetizer, dip, queso dip

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb ground beef extra lean
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 4 oz green chiles (1 can)
• 1 jalapeno fresh, seeded and chopped
• 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes (1 can)
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup velveeta cubed
• 2 1/2 cups monterery jack cheese shredded
• 1 tbsp cilantro fresh, chopped

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet, or oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet, season it with the chili powder, and cook for about 5 minutes until no longer pink, breaking it up as you go along.
• Stir in the red onion and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes or until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
• Add the green chiles, jalapeno, fire roasted tomatoes and stir. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium low.
• Add the evaporated milk and velveeta and cook for 2 more minutes or until the velveeta melts. Stir in 2 cups of the jack cheese and cook for another minute until it melts.
• Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the remaining jack cheese over the top of the dip and place the skillet over the broiler for about 5 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Watch it so it doesn't burn.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.

Video

Notes

Meatless option: Skip the beef, just saute the onion, garlic in the olive oil and then continue with the rest of the steps.

 

What is evaporated milk: Evaporated milk, also known as unsweetened condensed milk in some countries, is a canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It's a dense, creamy, and ultra-concentrated milk. You can usually find it in the baking aisle at your local grocery store.

 

Why use evaporated milk: It's used in this dip to provide extra creaminess or body without the fat of real cream.

 

Why velveeta: I used velveeta because if you truly want a silky queso, velveeta is the way to go, however feel free to use any shredded cheese you prefer such as Monterey Jack, Cheddar, etc, anything that is a great melting cheese.

 

I don't have fire roasted tomatoes, can I use something else: Yes, of course. You can use regular canned diced tomatoes or just fresh tomatoes and chop them up yourself. I like the smoky flavor from the fire roasted tomatoes, which is why I chose it for this recipe.

 

I don't have a cast iron skillet, can I use something else: Yes! Feel free to use any skillet that is oven safe. If you don't have an oven safe skillet, transfer the chile con queso to a 9x13 baking dish or a 9 inch round baking dish.

 

I can't find canned green chiles, what else can I use: Keep in mind that canned green chiles are not really spicy at all, so one substitute could be roasted bell peppers. 

 

Is this dip spicy: Yes, it is. It's spicy because I use a whole jalapeno pepper, and my jalapeno was quite big, so feel free to omit it or use as much or as little as you like. 

 

What can I serve this dip with: I love to serve this with tortilla chips, carrots and celery sticks. However, any crispy crackers would also work.

 

Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

 

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Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 19.1% | Vitamin C: 6.5% | Calcium: 53.5% | Iron: 7.3%

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