Chile Con Queso

OK, con queso addicts, it’s time for treatment.  This here’s a real-deal, spicy-melty, creamy-dreamy chili con queso made without 1) gluten, or 2) processed cheese.  And oh, it’s easy and foolproof too.

Get out your tortilla chips, it’s a helluva dip.

This recipe hails from one of the most delicious blogs on the planet, aka The Homesick Texan.  I can hardly read her posts they incite such powerful cravings!  The only change I made to her fabulous recipe was to use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the base.

While I avoid grains in general, I made an exception for this beauty, tossing back more than a few tortilla chips in a spicy-cheese trance before snapping back to reality (aka shoving the dish into my son’s hands and running from the room).

Merry, Merry!

Chile Con Queso
Adapted from The Homesick Texan
Serves 4

2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, diced (about 1/2 c.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Serrano peppers, diced
3 jalapeño peppers, diced
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. milk
6 c. shredded cheese (any combination of Longhorn cheddar & Monterey Jack)
1/2 chopped cilantro
2 plum tomatoes, diced (about 1 c., can use canned if tomatoes aren’t in season)
1/2 c. sour cream
salt to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat, add onions and peppers, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the milk. Whisk the milk mixture into the vegetables and cook until thick, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and tomatoes.

Turn heat to low and 1/4-cup at a time, slowly add the shredded cheese, stirring until completely melted before adding more. When all the cheese is added, stir in the sour cream. Add salt to taste. Serve hot with tortilla chips.