Snack

Camp Green Chile Queso

Name: Camp Green Chile Queso
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup Oaxaca cheese, freshly grated, for the Queso; 1 large bag tortilla chips, sturdy chips work best, for the For serving; 1 cup medium cheddar cheese, freshly grated, for the Queso; sliced jalapeños, for topping, for the For serving; 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated, for the Queso; chopped cilantro, for topping, for the For serving; hot sauce, for serving, for the For serving; 1 tbsp cornstarch, for the Queso; 1 tbsp butter, for the Queso; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced, for the Queso; 1 large jalapeño, seeded and finely minced, for the Queso; 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained very well, for the Queso; 1/2 tsp kosher salt, for the Queso; 1/2 tsp ground cumin, for the Queso; 1/2 tsp chili powder, for the Queso; 1/4 tsp onion powder, for the Queso; 12 oz can evaporated milk, full-fat, for the Queso; 2 tbsp whole milk, for thinning as needed, for the Queso; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, for the Queso

Silky, melty green chile queso with real cheese and absolutely no Velveeta.

15 min prep 5 min cook serves 8Easy

Oaxaca, cheddar and Monterey Jack melted into green chiles, jalapeño and seasoned evaporated milk for a ridiculously smooth queso that comes together in about 20 minutes. Built for chips around camp and dangerously easy to finish.

Cooked on

Camper stove
Cast iron skillet

VegetarianGluten freeOne pot

Making the Queso

The whole trick here is controlling the heat.

Do not boil the cheese.

The evaporated milk gets hot first, then the heat gets turned all the way down or completely off before the cheese goes in. That is what keeps the queso smooth instead of turning it grainy or greasy.

Have all the cheese grated and ready before you light the stove because once the milk gets hot this moves quickly.

Grate and coat the cheese
Freshly grate the Oaxaca, cheddar and Monterey Jack.
Put all three cheeses into a bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch over the top.
Toss everything together until the cheese is evenly coated.
Set it aside.
Cornstarch keeps it smooth
The cornstarch helps stabilize the cheese as it melts so the fat stays mixed into the queso instead of separating into an oily mess.
Skip the bagged cheese
Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that fight against the smooth texture we are trying to get here. Grating it yourself is worth the extra two minutes.
Build the green chile base
Set a small cast iron skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
Add the butter and let it melt.
Add the garlic and jalapeño. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the drained tomatoes with green chiles, salt, cumin, chili powder and onion powder.
Cook for another 2 minutes until everything smells ridiculous and most of the extra moisture has cooked off.
Drain the tomatoes really well
Extra tomato liquid can thin the queso and make the texture less predictable. Get as much liquid out of the can as reasonably possible.
Control the jalapeño heat
Removing the seeds and white ribs keeps things pretty mild. Leave some behind if the group actually wants some heat.
Heat the evaporated milk
Pour the evaporated milk into the skillet and stir everything together.
Keep it over medium heat until the milk just begins to simmer.
As soon as you see bubbles, reduce the burner to its lowest possible setting.
Give it another good stir.
Do not let it rip
We need the milk hot enough to melt cheese, not violently boiling. Too much heat is the fastest route to broken queso.
Kill the heat and melt the cheese
Turn the burner completely off.
Add the cheese a handful at a time while stirring constantly.
Let each addition mostly melt before adding the next.
Keep stirring until the queso is completely smooth.
Fold in the chopped cilantro.
Turn the damn heat off
This is the important part. The milk already has enough heat to melt the cheese. Continuing to blast it from underneath can make the cheese separate and turn grainy.
Add the cheese gradually
Smaller additions melt more evenly and give the cornstarch time to keep the sauce emulsified.
Dial in the consistency
If the queso is thicker than you want, stir in a little whole milk.
Start with about 1 tablespoon.
Add more only if needed.
Taste the queso with an actual tortilla chip before adjusting the salt or chili powder. The chip is bringing salt too.
Taste it with the chip
A spoonful of queso might taste under-salted by itself but the tortilla chip changes the equation. Taste the two together before adding more salt.
Milk goes in a little at a time
Queso is easy to thin and annoying to thicken again. Add milk slowly until it hits the consistency you want.
Serve it immediately
Serve the queso warm straight from the skillet.
Top it with extra cilantro, sliced jalapeños or hot sauce if you want.
Put a giant bag of tortilla chips next to it and accept that this is probably disappearing faster than whatever actual dinner you planned.
Keep reheating gentle
If the queso cools and thickens, reheat it on the lowest possible burner setting while stirring constantly. Add a splash of milk if needed.