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Baked Queso Dip

Easy, cheesy, and oh-so zesty.

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No other dip says party quite like queso does… and yet, most of us rely on a jar from the grocery store when we go to serve it. But no more! You can make your own queso that’s leaps and bounds above storebought AND with this method, your oven does all the work. I totally understand relying on a jar or a shortcut when it comes to serving something for a party (party prep can be HECTIC), but this is truly as easy as it gets. Throw a few ingredients in a baking dish and you’re good to go! (And it goes fast — this stuff is delicious.)

The most important thing here is, of course, the cheese. You want the perfect creamy, melty queso texture and you get that by combining cream cheese, Monterey jack, cheddar, and Velveeta. Yes, velveeta. Nothing else melts quite like it, so it’s a must here, but the cheddar brings in some sharper flavor, while Monterey Jack and cream cheese keep things nice and creamy. They work together as a wonderful cheesy team.

The cheesiness is great, but we also needs tons of flavor here and that’s where ground beef (cooked with taco seasoning) comes in, along with red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and some diced tomatoes with green chilies. Pop that all in a baking dish, pour a can of evaporated milk over the top, and then bake.

The evaporated milk helps bring everything together and once it’s hot and melty, you just stir to combine and you have the easiest, cheesiest, festive party dip you could want. It’s everything queso dreams are made of!

Serves 6

5m prep time

25m cook time

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5
Rated by 16 reviewers

Allergens: Milk

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Ingredients
  • 8 oz Velveeta, cubed
  • 1/2 lb cooked ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 large jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with chilies
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 (6 oz) can evaporated milk
For serving:
  • Green onions, sliced
  • Sour cream
  • Tortilla chips
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a pan over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain fat as needed. Season with taco seasoning and cook 2 minutes. Set aside.
  3. To a 9x13-inch baking dish, add Velvet, red onion, cream cheese, ground beef, jalapeño, grated cheeses, diced tomatoes, and cilantro.
  4. Drizzle evaporated milk over the top and bake until melted, 25-30 minutes. Stir to combine.
  5. Top with green onion and a dollop of sour cream and serve with tortilla chips for dipping. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Tornadough Alli.