If ever there was a simpler Tex-Mex dish, I’ve never heard if it. And, as I observed in yesterday’s post on Tater Tot mains, I’m surprised at myself for not exploring the entrée potential of this party favourite sooner. So, following are some of the fancier, more-substantial Queso variations I’ve found…
Scratch-made Queso with Onions and/or Peppers: I use Pico De Gallo if
I have some left over in the fridge. Make up a big batch. This stuff
disappears fast and leaves folks fighting over the scrapings!
Definition and differentiation…
Before we get in to the recipes, I think it’s probably a good idea to clarify the differences between various common varieties of the dish how they are usually consumed.
Queso Fundido is basically a Melted Cheese Sauce used for dipping or topping Tex-Mex and related border region dishes. The simplest version is just melted Velveeta-style (Processed) Cheddar Cheese Product. This version is also the ‘traditional’ topping for Ball Park Nachos, and is often found in other common applications among Northern U.S. adaptations of traditional Southwestern and Mexican dishes.
Choriozo Fundido is Melted Cheese Sauce with Chorizo Sausage crumbles or finely diced chunks, Onions and/or Peppers stirred in. In contemporary versions, the additions are usually sprinkled on top of the Sauce to create a pretty presentation, and give diners an immediate cue as to what they’re eating. This is a substantial dish that is often served atop warmed Corn Tortillas or in a shallow bowl for Chip dipping. (See photo, top of page.)
Queso Flameado is perhaps the most elegant variation of the dish. It’s prepared in two parallel procedures, one of the Cheese Sauce and the other for a companion Meat Sauce usually made up of loose fresh Chorizo, Tomato, Onion, Chile Peppers and traditional Mex/Tex-Mex Spices. The Meat mixture is usually served on top of the Cheese Sauce and the whole thing flambéed, sometimes right at the table for the ‘theatre’ of it.
Queso Con Pollo (also known as Pollo Fundido) is literally ‘Chicken with Cheese Sauce’. This more a Chicken dish than a Dip/Sauce, but the Fundido variant does qualify as a close cousin of our other Queso Sauces, in as much as it consists of Basic Cheese Sauce with Cilantro, Pico de Gallo, Green Chiles, and Cream topped with Taco-Spiced pulled or chunked Chicken.
The basics of the basic sauce
If you’re going to use Processed Cheese product as the basis of your Queso Sauce, there’s no need to add anything else to ensure a smooth, curdle-free Sauce. But, if you’re starting from scratch, you’ll want to add something (see: What you do… below) to help ward off curdling or separation of the Cheese. Why doesn’t Processed Cheese curdle or separate? It already contains Milk Solids and Vegetable Oil.
What you do…
First, make up a batch of plain Béchamel (White) Sauce.
Then add a few hands full of Shredded Cheese, stirring until the Cheese is completely melted and incorporated.
Tips:
Always serve Queso piping hot off the stove. You can also give it the Fondue treatment serving it in a pot with a heat source underneath.
Traditional Queso Sauce is made from one or a blend of classic Mexican fresh Cheeses – that is, they’re made like fresh Mozzarella and used immediately. Since they’re not pasteurized, they can’t be exported. And if they were made closer to home, they couldn’t be sold, under prevailing food safety regulations, for the same reason. As I’ve said before, You can use Cheddar (White rather than coloured, if you want your Queso to look more traditional is appearance) or Jack, or any other good melting Cheese.
Most folks who make Queso for topping other dishes or Dipping go one step further and make a variant of Corizo Fundido without the Chorizo. It’s thicker, more flavourful and a more satisfying dish on the whole if it’s intended as a substantial Snack or the accent component of a one-platter Meal.
A shortcut…
You can always start with a commercial, jarred Queso Sauce. But it’s so easy to make your own from scratch, why not claim all the glory from your ‘customers’? And it’s a lot less expensive to make your own, compared to the price of ready-made: typically $4 to $6 depending on the jar size and brand.
Where do you go from here?
Try serving your Queso Sauce with Pulled Pork.
Spoon it over Biscuits instead of Red-eye or Sausage Gravy.
Use it instead in any of your favourite Casseroles in place of plain Béchamel Sauce. I always use some variation of Tex-Mex Queso/Cheese Sauce in Scalloped Potatoes and it’s a natural in Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole.
Have fun with Queso!
~ Maggie J.