Rita's Queso (Chile Con Queso)
Recipe By: Rita's on The River
Published in: Express-News
3 pounds white American cheese
2 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa (your favorite recipe)
1 1/4 cup Pico de Gallo (recipe follows -- or purchased)
1 1/2 tablespoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt -- or your favorite seasoning
1 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
Pico De Gallo:
2 cup ripe tomatoes -- chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions (Texas 1015 onions preferred)
2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño or serrano chiles
Salt -- to taste
Black pepper -- to taste
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
For Queso: Cut white cheese into 1- to 2-inch cubes; set aside. Put
half-and-half, heavy cream, sour cream, salsa, Pico de Gallo, seasoned
salt and Tabasco Sauce into large microwave-safe dish. Add cheese. Place
in microwave set on high power and heat for 4 minutes. Stir, and repeat
twice, stopping every 4 minutes to stir. Repeat again, reducing time to
approximately 2 minutes each time until mixture is hot and well mixed.
Serve with corn chips. Recipe can be reduced by half or a third if
desired.
For Pico de Gallo: Combine tomatoes, onions, chiles, salt, pepper,
cilantro
and lime juice in bowl.
Makes 12 cups.
Source: Queso - Rita's on the River; Pico de Gallo - Pat Mozersky
Recipe Notes
In Texas, Chile con Queso
(literally chile with cheese) is a dish near and dear to our hearts, and
this one is peerless. We have Rita's on the River's district manager,
chef
David Mendelson, to thank for scaling down their recipe for home use.
Mendelson uses white American cheese (not the ubiquitous Velveeta), and
half-and-half, heavy cream and sour cream, making this queso wonderfully
creamy. Other good melting cheese can be used as well - Monterey Jack and
mild Cheddar work well, too.
He turns up the heat with the additions of salsa, pico de gallo and
Tabasco sauce, and you can adjust the level of heat by the choices you
make. For the salsa, you can use your own home recipe, or your favorite
bottled salsa. The pico de gallo can be purchased as well, or you can
make your own. (I have included my recipe for the pico if you need one.)
The queso is easy to make in the microwave, but if you're serving this to
a large group, you may want to make it in a slow cooker to keep it piping
hot and to avoid a skin forming on the surface. Serve warm with tortilla
chips, or spread on warm flour tortillas. A little chorizo spooned on top
can't hurt. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, assuming you'll have any.
Reheat in the microwave.
Rita's on the River is at 245 E. Commerce St.
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