White Queso Sauce

Name: White Queso Sauce
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter; 1 medium yellow onion, diced small; 2 -3 fresh hot chilies, finely diced (jalepenos, serranos, etc) (optional); 3 tablespoons flour; 2 cups half-and-half, heated; 12 ounces canned diced green chilies (I use 3 - 4 oz cans); 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; 1 1/2 cups asadero cheese, 1/2-inch dice; 1 - 1 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded; 1 -2 tablespoon shredded fresh cilantro (optional, to taste); 1 -2 cup cooked corn (optional); 6 ounces diced pickled jalapeno peppers (optional); 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)

14 ingredients

7 steps

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 -3 fresh hot chilies, finely diced (jalepenos, serranos, etc) (optional)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half-and-half, heated
12 ounces canned diced green chilies (I use 3 - 4 oz cans)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 1/2 cups asadero cheese, 1/2-inch dice
1 - 1 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 -2 tablespoon shredded fresh cilantro (optional, to taste)
1 -2 cup cooked corn (optional)
6 ounces diced pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)

Directions

1

In a saucepan, saute the diced onions and fresh chilies over medium heat in the butter until onions are soft and transparent.
2

Add flour and stir/scrape the bottom to prevent sticking. Cook for several minutes to remove the raw flour taste from the roux.
3

Whisk in the heated half and half until the sauce has thickened (will coat the back of a spoon).
4

Add the dried cumin, Mexican oregano and drained green chilies and stir to combine.
5

Add the cheese and stir over medium heat until the cheese has fully melted. Don't use your whisk or the cheese will create a gooey mess in the whisk wires. I use as much Monterey jack cheese as necessary to bring the Queso to the desired consistency.
6

Once the cheese has melted, add the cilantro, corn, jalepenos and lime juice, if desired. These ingredients are not mandatory but add a great deal of depth to the Queso.
7

We like to serve this over tortilla chips with thinly-sliced marinated flank steak or chicken breast and diced tomatoes.