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5 – Ingredient Queso

Homemade cheese sauce doesn’t get easier than these 5 ingredients!

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Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team

Looking for a delicious queso recipe that tastes delicious? Well it’s all in the cheese. Create a simple béchamel sauce using equal parts butter and flour, then whisking in milk until thickened beautifully. Sprinkle in your cheddar cheese as well as the secret ingredient, pickled jalapenos and the brine. This not only makes the cheese sauce taste like queso, but helps to thin out the queso. A queso that comes together in no more than 5 ingredients making it ultimately customizable to your tastes. It reheats beautifully, just keep a little extra jalapeno brine on side. Your friends will be asking for the recipe all night long.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team

I’ve made this recipe with a cornstarch slurry before but the roux is king. Slurry’s don’t do well constantly being kept warm, they will break and cause your queso to be lumpy, therefore the roux makes this recipe fool-proof. Be sure to toast your flour and butter in the pan a little extra. This helps to develop extra flavor in your roux, but also get rid of the starchy flour flavor.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team

This queso recipe is wonderful snack and appetizer to prepare ahead of time. The roux mixture will seize up the mixture as it cools so use extra jalapeno brine to thin it out. This is a perfect queso to keep warm in an individual crockpot or even a cheese fountain.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team

Yield(s): Makes 2 cups

10m prep time

10m cook time

5.0
Rated by 2 reviewers

Allergens: Milk, Gluten

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you're making mealtime meaningful.
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Ingredients:
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups aged cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos (mild or spicy), chopped
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno brine
Directions:
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and flour. Let the mixture cook for 30 seconds to cook off any raw flour taste.
  2. Whisk in whole milk to the roux and let the mixture thicken as it comes to a boil. Whisk vigorously for a smooth sauce.
  3. Remove pan from heat and whisk in grated cheese until a smooth cheese sauce is created. Add in chopped jalapenos and brine.
  4. Taste for seasoning.
  5. Enjoy!