Velveeta cheese isn't really cheese, which kind of defeats the traditional name of Chile' Con Queso, which translates to chiles with cheese. Even still, Velveeta (or some other form of American cheese, like Land O' Lakes American Cheese) melts beautifully, providing the smooth creamy texture you would expect in a Queso dish. Attempts I've made to use real cheese, such as Cheddar or Jack cheeses have failed to fully incorporate into the sauce, leaving a curdled mess that doesn't look or taste good. Even following other people's recipes exactly using real cheese have failed, despite best efforts to incorporate the cheese slowly and in small amounts at a time.
I decided I'd had enough of wasting money on expensive cheeses that supposedly work well for Queso, like Longhorn cheeses. I went back to Velveeta and Rotel®, but I've made it my own recipe by adding ingredients that turn this dish into something satisfyingly smooth and tasty. Your friends will ask you how you made this, and it's so simple that anyone can do it and not fail.
What you need:
1 Large or 2 Small Cloves Garlic (chopped)
1/2 Cup White Onion (chopped)
2 Jalapeno Peppers Diced (seeds and veins removed)
3 Serrano Peppers Diced (seeds and veins removed)
2 Tbsp Salted Butter
16oz Velveeta Cheese (cubed)
1 can Rotel (original or hot depending on your tastes)
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Black Pepper
Cilantro to Taste (fresh is better but dried okay)
Directions:
Combine the butter, chopped onions, chopped garlic, and diced peppers in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes once everything starts to sizzle in the pot, stirring occasionally.
Add the can of Rotel and the Cumin, Black Pepper, and Cilantro. Stir until the spices are blended, then add the Velveeta. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly until the cheese is melted and well blended. If you stop stirring or if the heat is too high, it's easy to scorch the cheese.
You can serve the Queso immediately, or separate into 1/2 pint jars as individual servings for later.
