We are taking queso up a notch with this easy Queso Blanco recipe. This thing seriously puts all other cheese dips to shame. It's absolutely addictive and even better than your favorite Mexican restaurant's rendition. We're talking smooth, melty cheese, big savory flavors, and fresh ingredients that make a massive difference.
A few things we love here at The Anthony Kitchen are simple ingredients, easy-to-follow instructions, and crowd-pleasing dishes. This recipe is no exception. You will find zero unnecessary add-ins or extra steps, and literally everyone loves this stuff. Serve this dip once and you will be asked to make it again and again.
We make this queso for SuperBowl parties, backyard BBQs, or anytime we want something to smother a burrito in or top off fajita nachos with. Looking for more amazing Mexican dips to serve with your Queso Blanco? Try our Cream Cheese Salsa or chili cheese dip next!
WHAT TYPE OF CHEESE DO I USE FOR QUESO BLANCO?
The main ingredient in a restaurant-style Queso Blanco is a white American cheese product. You might find some haters out there concerning this product, but the fact is, if you want to make cheese dip with a consistency like your favorite Mexican restaurant's, you'll need to find the Velveeta.
You will typically find this cheese product often placed on an end cap at the grocery store near the pre-shredded cheeses.
Velveeta is a popular brand of processed cheese. It has a very soft consistency and melts down extremely smoothly, with zero separating. When you use a cheese product like this in a cheese dip, it eliminates the need for any other types of binders, such as a roux.
Your standard Velveeta cheese product is a bright yellowy-orange cheese, but they also have a white rendition called Queso Blanco (which translates to white cheese in Spanish). This, combined with the Tex-Mex favorite, Monterey Jack, is what we'll be using to whip up the best white cheese dip ever!
Can't get enough of the queso? Be sure you check out our Chili con Queso next!
HOW TO MAKE QUESO BLANCO
Queso Blanco is extremely quick and easy to make! It comes together with just a few ingredients on the stovetop. Here's how you do it:
The first thing you want to do is add 2% or low-fat milk to a saucepan over medium to medium-low heat. Allow the milk to warm, and add the cubed white queso Blanco cheese. Stir this mixture often until the cheese is completely smooth and melted.
Once the queso Blanco is melted, add the Monterey Jack cheese. We highly recommend grating the cheese yourself rather than buying pre-packaged grated cheese. Freshly grated cheese has a softer texture and melts down extra smooth and creamy, not to mention it will have significantly better flavor than anything you could pour out of a bag.
Reduce the heat to low, add in your Monterey Jack cheese and stir until melted.
Next, you will add in pico de gallo. This queso Blanco dip is fairly heavy in the savory department, so we especially love adding a fresh pico de gallo. It brightens up the dip significantly and makes it over-the-top delicious! You can use homemade pico de gallo (our personal fave) or store-bought pico de gallo, often found in the produce section of your grocery store.
If you don't want to take the time to make pico de gallo or have trouble finding it in your grocery store, you can sub in 1 (10-ounce) can of Rotel Diced Green Chiles and Tomatoes.
If you find after a while, your cheese dip has thickened more than you'd like it to, add more milk, about a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
If you'd like to make your Queso Blanco in a standard-sized slow cooker rather than on the stovetop, you'll likely want to double the recipe.
Add the milk and cubed queso Blanco to the slow cooker and place on the low heat setting. Cover and stir about every 20 minutes until the cheese has completely melted.
Then, add your freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese and stir until melted. Add the pico de gallo, stir once more, and reduce your crockpot setting to warm.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH QUESO BLANCO
There are a lot of ways you can serve Queso Blanco. Here are a few of our favorites!
For starters, the obvious one... Tortilla chips! We have a super easy recipe for Homemade Tortilla Chips and they are so good with this queso. We also recommend pretzel bites as another delicious and dip-able option, or if you'd like to amp up the heartiness of the dish, add some cooked taco meat and serve it over nachos or burritos.
6 MORE MEXICAN DIPS YOU’LL LOVE
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa
- Mexican Salsa
- Corn Dip
- Rotel Dip with Ground Beef
- Mexican Layer Dip
- Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Mexican Salsa
Corn Dip Recipe with Cream Cheese
Rotel Dip with Ground Beef
Mexican Layer Dip
The Best Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Recipe
Queso Blanco ticks all the boxes! Quick, easy, delicious, and always a crowd-pleaser. Serve this for your next fiesta or taco night!
- 1 cup 2% or low-fat milk
- 1 (16-ounce) package queso blanco, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup fresh pico de gallo or 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel, drained
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Add the milk to a small saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until warm.
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Add the cubed queso blanco and stir often until melted and smooth.
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Reduce the heat to low, add the Monterey Jack, and stir until smooth once more.
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Add the pico or drained Rotel, stir, and transfer to a serving vessel. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Source: The Spruce Eats