Ingredients
Method
- Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter until it starts to foam slightly. Add your finely diced onion and minced jalapeño to the pan. Cook these for about four or five minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the pepper softens. Add the garlic at the very end and stir for just thirty seconds.
- Once your vegetables are soft, pour the whole milk and heavy cream into the saucepan. Use a whisk to stir the liquids in with the sautéed onions and peppers. Turn the heat down to medium-low. It is very important that you do not let the milk come to a rolling boil.
- If the liquid gets too hot, the proteins in the cheese will break apart later, and you will end up with a grainy dip instead of a smooth one.
- While the milk is heating up, make sure you prepared the shredded cheese. Don't use the pre-shredded cheese from the store. Buy blocks of white American and sharp cheddar and grate them yourself at home.
- Take a handful of the shredded American cheese and drop it into the warm milk. Stir constantly with a whisk until the cheese has completely melted into the liquid. Repeat this process, adding one handful at a time, until all the American cheese is incorporated.
- Now that you have a smooth base, start adding the shredded white cheddar cheese. If the sauce looks like it is getting too thick, you can add a small splash of milk to thin it out. Open your can of diced green chiles and stir them directly into the melted cheese. Stir in the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Let the queso sit on the lowest heat setting for about two or three minutes. This resting time allows the flavors of the spices and the green chiles to really meld with the fats in the cheese. If the dip starts to form a skin on top, simply give it a quick stir.
- Pour the hot queso into a serving bowl. For a professional look, top the center of the dip with a spoonful of fresh diced tomatoes and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
Notes
Graininess in a cheese dip is almost always caused by too much heat. When cheese gets too hot too fast, the proteins tighten up and squeeze out the fat, resulting in a curdled or sandy texture. To avoid this, always keep your stove on low or medium-low and never let the sauce boil.
Another common culprit is using pre-shredded bagged cheese, which contains additives that interfere with the melting process. If your dip does become grainy, you can sometimes save it by adding a splash of lemon juice or a bit more heavy cream and whisking vigorously over very low heat.