free from gluten and the top 8 allergens
Queso dip is amazing! Some people call it nacho cheese dip and others just call it queso.
What we love about queso is that it goes far beyond chips. You can spoon it over baked potatoes, tater tots, tacos, fajitas, grilled chicken, spaghetti squash, pasta, broccoli, cauliflower steaks, hot roast beef sandwiches, soft pretzels, and of course a pile of tortilla chips.
See what we did this week with leftover queso…
My love for queso all started with Velveeta and Ro*Tel. Can you relate? This was a real college staple. Though it brings back fond memories, dairy is no longer in our diets.
We think we’ve made a queso that is even better than the famous Velveeta queso dip.
mise en place
The Recipe
Heat a little oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 5 minutes. Toss in finely diced jalapeño, roasted and chopped Anaheim chile (or canned green chilies), and minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Set aside while making the cheese sauce.
In a medium saucepan, combine rice milk and mashed sweet potato. Whisk until smooth, or better yet, puree using an immersion blender. Add nutritional yeast (optional) along with the onion and chile mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally.
Reduce heat to low and add cheddar-style shreds, whisking frequently until the cheddar-shreds are melted, about 5 minutes.
Stir in diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and ground cumin.
Transfer the queso to a serving bowl and serve warm with tortilla chips.
Or….
Check out the baked potato! We loaded it with chopped steamed broccoli and covered it with queso. This was our second batch of queso, and I have to tell you…we forgot to add the chopped cilantro. But it was still absolutely delicious!!!
And look what Joel was up to on Friday. He texted me at work with this picture of his lunch, pasta with leftover queso. Yes, I was jealous and no, he didn’t bring me any…But, he had a fabulous dinner waiting for me after work! 🙂
We like our queso vegefied. But heck, it’s not about us. Here are some ideas for mix and match queso that you can add to our recipe at the end with the tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin.
Mixins
- 1 cup chorizo, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup ground beef or turkey, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken, skin removed and chopped
- 1/2 cup bacon bits…or more
- 1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 12 ounces fresh spinach, about 8 cups packed (heat until spinach wilts)
- 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces sliced button or cremini mushrooms, sautéed
Chef Joel’s Tip
To roast chili peppers, preheat your oven’s broiler. Put chilies on a baking sheet lined with foil and place tray in upper third of your oven.
Let the chilies broil until most of the skin is black, about 5-10 minutes. Remove pan and flip the chilies over and repeat. You can also blacken the chilies over an open flame on your grill or over the flame of a gas cooktop.
Add the charred chili peppers to a large ziplock bag and seal, or to a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let sit for 20 minutes. This will allow the chilies to steam, making it easier to peel the charred, black skin.
Peel, then slice chilies open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
Green Chili Queso
Yield 1 quart
Free of: gluten and top 8 allergens.
This queso goes far beyond chips!
Ingredients
1 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1-2 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded and finely chopped (1/2 cup) or 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies (see recipe notes)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (2 tbsp)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/4 cups rice milk
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato
1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional (see recipe notes)
8 ounces cheddar style shreds (2 cups), such as Daiya
1 cup diced roma tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Toss in Anaheim chilies or canned green chilies, jalapeño, and garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Set aside while preparing the cheese sauce.
- In a medium saucepan, combine rice milk and sweet potato. Puree until smooth using an immersion blender. Add nutritional yeast and the onion/chili mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low. Add cheddar-style shreds and whisk frequently until melted, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin. Mix and match your queso by adding a mixin, if desired (see recipe notes).
- Transfer the queso to a serving bowl. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Roasting chili peppers
To roast chili peppers, preheat your oven's broiler. Put chilies on a baking sheet lined with foil and place tray in upper third of your oven.
Let the chilies broil until most of the skin is black, about 5-10 minutes. Remove pan and flip the chilies over and repeat. You can also blacken the chilies over an open flame on your grill or over the flame of a gas cooktop.
Add the charred chili peppers to a large ziplock bag and seal, or to a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let sit for 20 minutes. This will allow the chilies to steam, making it easier to peel the charred, black skin.
Peel, then slice chilies open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
- Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamins (especially B vitamins) and minerals, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. It is naturally low in sodium and calories, as well as gluten-free and vegan. Studies have shown its wide range of potential health benefits, from lowering cholesterol to protecting the body from free radical damage.
- Mixins
- 1 cup chorizo, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup ground beef or turkey, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken, skin removed and chopped
- 1/2 cup bacon bits...or more
- 1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 12 ounces fresh spinach, about 8 cups packed (heat until spinach wilts)
- 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces sliced button or cremini mushrooms, sautéed
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