This recipe for Restaurant Style Cheese Dip is both seriously delicious and incredibly easy. I've talked about recipes that have effort-to-taste ratios before, and this is certainly one of those that is heavily tipped to the taste side. This makes the perfect appetizer or side dish for taco night, Hearty Chicken Enchiladas, or any other Mexican dish!
Cheese Dip Ingredients
This cheese dip only has five ingredients: white American cheese, half and half, diced pickled jalapenos, some kosher salt and pinch of white pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a pot and heat on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.
That's it....seriously. It comes together in about 10-minutes and will keep warm over simmer or low heat for an hour or two. This will turn in to a large chunk of cheese when it cools off. If that happens, just throw it back on the stove with a splash of half-and-half to reheat and give it a few stirs. This will bounce right back.
I recommend getting good-quality white American cheese from the deli counter. You can use pre-packaged singles if you'd like, but I find that there is better flavor and consistency when you use the cheese from the deli.
The pickled jalapenos are optional; however, this is not an overtly "spicy" cheese dip. I like to add the jalapenos and some of their liquid to give this dish some acidity. It really helps to give a nice pop of flavor. I feel that it would be pretty flat and one-dimensional without it. I recommend adding some lime juice to give it some acidity if you want to skip the jalapenos.
Did you make this recipe for Restaurant Style Cheese Dip?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Restaurant Style Cheese Dip
Equipment
- 1 Medium sauce pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb. White American Cheese Cubed
- 1 Cup Half and Half
- 2-3 Tablespoons Pickled Jalapenos and Liquid Diced
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt to Taste Plus more to taste
- Small Pinch White Pepper
Instructions
- Cube the white American cheese and place in a medium sized sauce pot.
- Add the half and half, pickled jalapenos and their liquid, and a pinch of kosher salt and white pepper.
- Heat on medium-low for 8 to 10-minutes, stirring regularly to avoid scorching. Continue to stir until all of the ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper as needed.
- To keep warm, lower heat to the lowest setting (low or simmer), stirring occasionally. This will stay warm for about an hour or two.
Amber says
I have tried so many different online recipes for queso and this one is best, by a long shot. It's delicious! I didn't have any white pepper so I used a pinch of cayenne and it worked out perfectly! I could've used a bit more heat, personally, but my husband and 8 year old prefer it more mild. This queso turned out perfect! Mild enough for my husband and son, but flavorful enough to satisfy me. If you're looking for a recipe for Mexican- American white queso, this is the one!
Spencer Klickman says
Thanks for trying the recipe and for the the kind words, Amber! Subbing in cayenne was the perfect move. The beauty of this recipe is that it's so simple, yet so customizable!
Stacy says
SOOOO easy, SOOOO delish!