Chile con queso

Chile con queso

A bowl of chile con queso served with tortilla chips as an appetizer in a Tex-Mex restaurant
Type	Dip
Course	Appetizer or side dish
Place of origin	Mexico/Texas
Region or state	Chihuahua
Main ingredients	Cheese (often Velveeta or other processed cheese, Monterey Jack or cream cheese), cream, chili peppers
Ingredients generally used	Onion, Paprika
Variations	con carne (add ground chorizo sausage ex.)
Media: Chile con queso

Chile con queso (lit. 'chili with cheese'), sometimes simply called queso, is an appetizer or side dish of melted cheese and chili peppers, typically served in Tex-Mex restaurants as a dip for tortilla chips. It can also be added to other dishes such as taco.

Background

Chile con queso (also spelled chili con queso) is a part of Tex-Mex and Southwestern cuisine. Chile con queso is probably^[1] a derivative of queso flameado^[2] from the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua.^[3]

Chile con queso is predominantly found on the menus of Tex-Mex restaurants in the southwest and western United States.^[4]

Ingredients

Preparing queso. This recipe include fresh chopped onion, tomatilla, tomatoes, and chili peppers as well as variety of seasoning

Chile con queso is a smooth, creamy sauce, used for dipping, that is made from a blend of melted cheeses (often American cheese, Velveeta or another processed cheese, Monterey Jack or cream cheese), cream, and chili peppers.^[5][6] Many restaurants serve chile con queso with such added ingredients as pico de gallo, black beans, guacamole, and ground beef or pork.

Serving

Chile con queso served in a restaurant

Chile con queso is a warm dish, heated to a desired temperature. Chile con queso can be eaten with tortillas, tortilla chips, or pita chips which are thicker than regular tortilla chips.^[7][8] It can also be used as a condiment on fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, migas, quesadillas or any other Tex-Mex dish.

While Tex-Mex restaurants often offer chips and salsa free of charge, queso is usually offered for an additional charge. It can be made with various cheeses. Usually it is white or yellow in color.

See also

• List of dips
• List of hors d'oeuvre
• Tex-Mex cuisine
• Chili powder – food spice made from chili peppers

References

1. Krishna, Priya (6 November 2019). "Queso Forever: Dive Into an Enduring, Evolving Texas Icon". Vine Pair. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
2. Cook, Allison (24 December 2009), "Why chile con queso matters", Houston Chronicle, archived from the original on 26 April 2012, retrieved 27 May 2013
3. Alan Davidson, ed. (1981), Food in Motion: The Migration of Foodstuffs and Cookery Techniques - Oxford Symposium 1981, London: Prospect Books, p. 274, ISBN 0-907325-07-6, retrieved 27 May 2013
4. "Oxnard Forty League Members Entertain Remainder of Club With Spanish Dinner", Oxnard Press-Courier, p. 6, 3 April 1957, retrieved 22 March 2011
5. Brownstone, Cecily (27 June 1972), "Chili con Queso Tasty Dip", Spokane Daily Chronicle, p. 27, retrieved 22 March 2011
6. Vincent, Zola (18 April 1959), "Informal Lunch, Supper Ideas Come From Mexico Kitchens", Lodi News-Sentinel, p. 36, retrieved 22 March 2011
7. Lisa Fain (2017). QUESO!: Regional Recipes for the World's Favorite Chile-Cheese Dip. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony. pp. 86–87. ISBN 9780399579523. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
8. New York Style (22 April 2013). "Best Dips for Bread and Pita Chips". B & G Foods, Inc. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2017.

External links

• On the Origins of Chile con Queso by John Nova Lomax