This is a recipe I’ve been refining over the years. Inspired by Uncle Julio’s, Chef Andrew Gruel and others with a unique twist of my own….

  • 1/2 lb Boars Head American
  • 1/2 lb Aged Sharp Cheddar
  • 1/2 lb Mozzarella
  • 6 ounces Pickled jalapeños
  • 1/2 diced Onion
  • 1/2 diced Carrot
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Garlic
  • 1/4 cup diced Fennel
  • 6 ounces Rotel diced tomato’s (hot, medium or mild). Careful as hot Rotel is pretty hot.
  • 3 ounces Chipotle Peppers
  • 4 ounces diced Hatch Chilies – or if not available Green Chiles
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/4 cup Cornstarch with 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 1/2 cup Guinness Beer
  • 2/3 pack frozen Stoufers Spinach Soufflé
  • 2-6 tablespoon Honey
  1. Place the American cheese, grated cheddar, mozzarella cheese and Rotel into a double broiler. The sauce only needs to be hot enough to melt the cheeses , which you should stir in gradually until just melted and incorporated into the sauce.
  2. In a sauce pan add diced onions, diced carrot, fennel and slow sauté with olive oil and on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until slightly caramelized.
  3. Add diced garlic to the sauce pan for 1 minute or so careful not to burn.
  4. Deglaze the onion, carrot, fennel and garlic by adding the beer and simmer to reduce mixture by 1/2.
  5. Add heavy cream to sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Mix the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water into a slurry and mix into the sauce pan and simmer for 3 minutes (important to cook out the cornstarch taste).
  7. Dice jalapeños, green and Chipotle chilies.
  8. Microwave 2 minutes / defrost Stoffers Spinach.
  9. Add salsa, chilies, onions/garlic/beer/cream sauce pan mix, spinach and honey slowly to cheese into the double broiler. Amounts above are recommended and really hit a delicate balance of flavors but you may adjust. Be careful not to over-add. Add slowly and sample (my favorite part) often to reach desired taste. Note that a bag of chips is helpful during to “tuning” process.
  10. You can increase thickness with added cheese or a cornstarch slurry but be sure to simmer the corn starch for 3 minutes or so before adding to the cheese to tame the corn starch flavor.
  11. You can thin the dip with Rotel, beer, heavy cream or salsa.
  12. Tweak and “heat” to taste.

Do not leave the queso on heat for long periods of time as it will begin to thicken and get bitter. Better to microwave or double boil smaller batches as needed to protect the flavor and consistency. Reheat slowly.

June 13, 2023