This is just like the stuff they serve at Mexican restaurants, I love it!
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup white flour
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 can chopped green chiles 8 oz, drained
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and deveined
- 8 oz. monterey jack or asadero cheese grated
- salt ;to taste
- fresh ground pepper; to taste
- Carbohydrate 15.521660320425 g
- Cholesterol 32.028125 mg
- Fat 12.9742354255163 g
- Fiber 1.45230965224397 g
- Protein 2.76982738711 g
- Saturated Fat 7.70072384965223 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (99g)
- Sodium 216.611807545357 mg
- Sugar 14.069350668181 g
- Trans Fat 0.986508363686631 g
- Calories 186 calories
Step-by-step
- First saute onion in olive oil for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 min. Set aside.
- Have all your other ingredients ready to go. Grate that cheese, measure out that flour and butter.
- Chop up those jalapeno or chipotle chiles and measure out your milk.
- Having everything pre measured and ready to go into the recipe will make things much more organized and easier for you.
- The first thing we are going to do is make a roux.
- Grab your 2 quart sauce pan and melt the butter over very low heat. We don't want to see a lot of bubbles going on in melting the butter. Just a gentle melting.
- Once the butter is just melted, add the flour and stir with a whisk to blend it together.
- Turn the heat up just a little bit so that you can see the flour/butter mixture slightly bubbling. Stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Now add a little milk while continuing to stir with the whisk. Add the rest of the milk and turn the heat up to medium.
- Continue to whisk for about 5 to 10 minutes. You will notice the sauce thickening.
- Turn the heat down just a little and add the cumin, onion and garlic mixture, the green chiles, and the jalapeno/chipotle chiles. Stir until well mixed and hot.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir.
- Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese, one handful at a time.
- Stir each handful in with the whisk until melted. Keep adding handfuls and stirring until all the cheese is mixed in and creamy.
- Now you get to taste it. Does it need more salt? More heat? You can still stir it in at this time.
- Serve immediately.
- If you have one of those small crockpots or fondue pots, that would work well to keep this white cheese dip warm.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
Standard yellow queso uses processed American cheese blocks that melt into a slick, stable liquid without much effort. Replicating the stark white restaurant style requires a completely different approach using Monterey Jack or asadero. Real cheese contains moisture and solids that break down differently than block process cheese. Without a sturdy starch base, actual dairy will separate into grease and rubbery lumps under direct heat.
Mastering the Starch and Dairy Base
Building a proper roux is non-negotiable for this recipe. Melt the butter over very low heat until it liquefies without browning. Whisk in the white flour and cook that paste for precisely one minute to eliminate the raw starch taste. Pouring the whole milk in gradually prevents lumps from forming in the pan. Whisk continuously over medium heat for five to ten minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. If the sauce boils too aggressively, the proteins will scorch on the bottom of the two-quart saucepan.
Cheese Selection and Temperature Control
Shred your own Monterey Jack from a block rather than buying pre-bagged shreds dusted with cellulose. Cellulose prevents the cheese from binding smoothly into the hot bechamel base. Turn off the heat entirely before adding the grated cheese in small handfuls. Retaining high heat while adding cheese causes the fats to separate instantly. Stir each handful thoroughly until smooth before introducing the next portion. For holding the dip during service, transfer it to a small fondue pot or low-heat crockpot to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Leftovers will solidify significantly in the refrigerator within two days. Reheat chilled portions gently over low heat with a splash of milk to restore the emulsion.
