Queso, a popular Tex-Mex dip made with processed American cheese and canned tomatoes, was inspired by chile con queso, a Mexican dip of melted cheese and chiles that made its way to the United States in the 1930s and ’40s. As the two-ingredient Americanized adaptation gained popularity, supermarkets began placing Ro-tel canned tomatoes near shelf-stable Velveeta cheese, and queso became mainstream. Purists will argue that any ingredient beyond American cheese and spicy diced tomatoes is unnecessary, but you can customize this recipe by adding any combination of black beans, scallions, cilantro, garlic, cumin, red-pepper flakes, oregano, lime zest or juice.
Category: not set
Cuisine: not set
1 (2-pound) block processed American cheese such as Velveeta
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles preferably Ro-tel brand
Tortilla chips for serving
1 cup rinsed canned black beans
3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 7 scallions)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano preferably Mexican oregano
1/4 packed teaspoon fresh lime zest plus 2 teaspoons juice (from about 1 lime)
Minced canned chipotle chiles en adobo to taste
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