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Make this fantastic Queso con Carne for your next game day party!
Inspiration for today’s decadently-good Queso con Carne comes from watching late-night cooking shows. We were watching another episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, and the featured chef was making a queso with beef chili added to it.
Jack and I looked at each other – and we instantly decided that we needed to make our own Queso con Carne recipe!
This delicious, zesty cheesy, meaty Queso con Carne also goes by the names Chili Queso, or Queso con Chile con Carne.
No matter what you call it – this delicious cheese dip has a ton of flavor thanks to two kinds of cheese, chopped green chiles and pickled jalapeños, plus an easy, spicy, meaty chili that is stirred into the creamy cheese mixture.
This Queso con Carne (which translates to ‘cheese with meat’ in Spanish) is simple to make, and a great appetizer to serve for game day.
You can make it ahead of time – in fact, we think the flavors improve over time – then reheat just before serving. You can even serve keep this Queso con Carne warm in a mini slow cooker like this one, with a big bowl of tortilla chips on the side.
This recipe makes a generous amount – but I predict you’ll have very little leftover after your party. It’s so good!
You may enjoy these other cheesy dips:
- Easy Zesty Cheese Dip
- Famous Queso Dip
- Creamy Chicken Queso Dip
- Chile con Queso
- Zesty Cheesy Ritz Dip
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Queso con Carne
Ingredients
Chili
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90/10)
1 14-5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dry oregano
Queso
1 pint half and half
1 1/2 pounds sliced white American cheese
8 ounce package NY sharp cheddar, shredded (we like Cracker Barrel)
1 4–ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
24 or more jarred hot pickled jalapeño slices, see notes below
Tortilla chips to serve with finished dip
Instructions
In a medium pot over medium heat, add oil and onions and cook two minutes. Add garlic and the ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef. Cook until no longer pink.
Add the canned tomatoes including the juice, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and oregano and on a medium simmer, cook ten minutes. Remove from heat.
In a larger pot, heat half and half over medium heat and once hot, slowly add the American and cheddar a little at a time, stirring as you go. Keep adding until all of the cheese has melted in. A non-stick pan is best for this.
Add in the drained green chilis and stir.
Place the 24 or more pickled jalapeno slices in a small food processor or blender and puree until smooth. (Add a few spoonfuls of the chili to the blender or food processor just to bring the volume up high enough for the blades to reach, if necessary.) Then pour the contents into the queso and stir.
Pour the chili into the queso, leaving out any excess liquid or fat that settled from the chili.
Stir and serve warm with tortilla chips.
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Notes
24 pureed slices of the jarred pickled jalapeños was the perfect heat for this dish. However if you like it hotter, feel free to puree more than 24 slices (or less if you prefer).
If serving in a bowl, the mixture thickens to a perfect consistency as it cools. If serving warmed in a slow cooker, the mixture will be a little thinner because the cheese stays hotter. Feel free to add a little more American or cheddar cheese as needed to keep the queso thick while hot.
Delicious I’ve made more than a few times now, works well with ground venison as well, easy and yummy
Thanks Alysia!
AMAZING recipe!!! I used I possible meat, doubled the spices (except salt, spices didn’t taste strong enough in the chili), and added a few extra jalapeños. Literally perfect cheese dip! Thank you for postin!
Thanks for the feedback Christina!
This is the only a queso recipe! It’s not the simplest, but by far the best. I add smoked paprika for the smoky flavor. Every time I make it, I get asked for the recipe. Also highly recommend making with impossible meat.
Thanks for the suggestions Rachel!
This was delicious and a hit with my book club. I made it just as written, except I used Impossible Meat instead of ground beef, and added smoked paprika, because I like the smokiness.
Great idea Rachel!
You can serve it cold?
Or room temp? It doesn’t harden?
It gets pretty thick when chilled Natasha. Served warm/hot is best but as it cools to room temp, it is still good.