I love chile con queso, the amazing Tex-Mex melted cheese concoction. While I also like a good queso fundido, nothing beats the more dip-like chile con queso.
I'll be honest – I'll eat any kind of queso, from the Velveeta / Rotel combination to a fancier roux-based queso. That's why I couldn't wait to buy Lisa Fain's new Queso! book, which features a variety of queso recipes from around the Southwest as well as a few new globally-inspired queso recipes.
Unlike most cookbooks I purchase, I didn't feel the need to pre-test this book by checking it out of the library first. This book was destined to be a MadhuKnitsandCooks go-to, especially because Lisa Fain's natural queso recipe on her blog has already been a favorite.
My first queso recipe from the book didn't disappoint, the Southern New Mexico Chile Con Queso. I've made this recipe approx. 4 times over the past few months because it requires incredibly little prep and uses ingredients that I generally have at home.
Unlike most queso recipes, this recipe just involves melting the cheese on top of the chile mixture on the stove-top – no milk or sour cream needed at all.
My secret ingredient for this queso is some defrosted, home-roasted Hatch chile, which I still have in ample supply in my freezer.
While this queso doesn't have the super smooth texture of a more sauce-based queso, it is delicious – spicy, bold and cheesy. Will report back as I make more quesos from this book!
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