Homemade Queso Dip

This is a fresh, homemade version of the wonderful cheesy Mexican dip everyone loves without the block of Velveeta cheese or the can of Rotel. Maybe its the foodie in me that has turned into a bit of a snob when it comes to eating. Or it could be the fact that I am 10 short days away from graduating with my Master in Nutrition so I know that over processed foods are terrible for you. Regardless of the reason the thought of eating Velveeta cheese completely grosses me out so I found a way to make this delicious dip without it.

Ingredients:

8oz Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese - Shredded

8oz Cabot Sharp White Cheddar Cheese - Shredded

1/4 Cup Light Cream

1 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil

1 Jalapeno - Seeds and Ribs Removed - Finely Diced

1 Fresno - Seeds and Ribs Removed - Finely Diced

1/2 Small White Onion - Finely Diced

1 Garlic Clove - Minced

1 Small Tomato - Seeds removed and Diced

Your Favorite Bag of Tortilla Chips

Adapted from: www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride

Start by grating your blocks of cheese into a large bowl and set aside. Then dice all of your vegetables. In a large saucepan add the canola or vegetable oil and heat it up over a medium flame. Add the onion, fresno and jalapeno pepper to the pan. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently so nothing sticks or burns. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

Reduce your heat to low and add in half of the cheese, stirring the entire time. Pour in half of your cream to help start the melting process. Add the rest of the cheese and the remaining cream and continue stirring. 

Next stir in the tomatoes. If your queso is too thick you can add a little bit more cream. I added too much cream because I was nervous the cheese was sticking so I made my queso too thin. First I freaked out and then I remembered I had extra shredded cheddar cheese in the fridge so I quickly remedy this by adding another handful of cheddar cheese. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. I suggest if you are going to put this out at a party you keep it warm either by pouring it into a crockpot or placing the bowl on a hot plate. This will alleviate you having to pop it in the microwave every 20 minutes or so.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

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