This spiced up queso cheese dip skips the fake stuff and is made with real cheese instead. Chorizo and chiles add the heat that’s then cooled down with every football lover’s favorite flavoring: BEER! Serve it with chips or even better, pile it on french fries for a riff on the classic poutine.
This post is brought to you by Kroger
Football season has it’s signature trigger words ending in -ING: Passing. Scoring. Tailgating.Watching. Cheering. Drinking and eating.
But for this foodie, my favorite action word ending in -ING has been and always will be GRAZING.
At this stage in life’s game I’m miles away from being an arm-chair quarterback when it comes to tailgate snacking. Listen guys, I’m a pro. For me, it’s all about getting in the game and grazing on a little bit of this and some more of that, and bites of all of the shareable eats game days are known for.
So whether it’s a high school play-off, college rivalry, or the Super Bowl, this girl is ready to go the distance.
One of the most popular recipes to make around game day is a cheesy queso dip, and while I typically like to eat healthy, when it comes to tailgating, all bets are off, but I still want to eat real food.
Too many of the recipes I’ve seen use pasteurized cheese to achieve that creamy texture so that’s why I set out to make one that’s creamy, but still real, and loaded with flavor.
About the Recipe
This queso dip is all about flavor, and that flavor is built in layers with ingredients that are always on hand at my local Smith’s Marketplace so I don’t waste time driving around instead of enjoying the game.
- Locally brewed dark beer helps create that meltable spread with jalapeños steeped in it for extra flavorful heat.
- Ground Mexican pork chorizo adds salty, sausage bits with each bite.
- Roasted chiles (my fave are Kroger’s diced green chile peppers) add a bright roasted New Mexico chile bite.
And can I say it just one more time? We use REAL CHEESE in here!
I took a lesson from my favorite mac and cheese recipe to get the creamy texture by adding the cheese a bit at a time on really low heat until melted before adding more. This technique ensures the cheese doesn’t seize and turn into a brick. But if it does (because let’s face it, every time is different) I stir in a little more evaporated milk to loosen things up.
The dip is best served warm and a small crockpot will do the trick.
Sure, queso dip is a classic appetizer when it’s served with chips, but for this tailgate queen, I’m giving the classic poutine a run for its money when I drape it on a mix of Kroger’s crinkle cut sweet potato fries and their extra crispy crinkle cut fries and then top it with a few more sprinkles of chorizo and just a few more jalapeño slices and a big old dollop of sour cream for my football lovin’ man.
Because that’s just the way I do. Go team!
Chorizo Queso Dip with Beer and Chiles
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground pork chorizo
- ¾ cup dark beer (I used a porter)
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced plus more for garnish
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk plus more if needed
- 1 pound shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons diced canned green chiles
- Tortilla chips or french fries for serving
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate topped with a paper towel to drain and discard the rendered fat.
- Cook the beer and jalapeño in a saucepan over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the evaporated milk. Add in a large handful of the cheese and whisk in until melted. Repeat adding the cheese by the handful and then whisking it in until all of the cheese is melted. Reserve ⅓ cup of the chorizo and add the rest to the cheese with the green chiles. Cook on low for 10 minutes or until the cheese becomes loose and smooth. If the cheese is too thick, stir in more evaporated milk to loosen it. Garnish with more jalapeños and serve warm with tortilla chips or over french fries.
