Queso Blanco Rotel Dip

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 can (10 oz / 283 g) Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, original or mild
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, plus more as needed
• 1 lb (454 g) white American cheese from the deli, sliced thick or in a block, torn or cubed
• 1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) Monterey Jack, shredded from a block
• 1 can (4 oz / 113 g) diced green chiles, drained
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, optional
• Tortilla chips, for serving

How to make queso blanco Rotel dip

1. Step 1.

   Drain the Rotel in a strainer set over a bowl, reserving the liquid.

2. Step 2.

   Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.

3. Step 3.

   Add the milk and heat until it steams and small bubbles form at the edge. Do not let it boil.

4. Step 4.

   Reduce the heat to low. Add the American cheese a handful at a time, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and letting each addition mostly melt before adding more.

5. Step 5.

   Add the Monterey Jack in the same way, stirring until the queso is completely smooth, about 8–10 minutes in total.

6. Step 6.

   Stir in the drained Rotel, green chiles and cumin. Heat through for 2 minutes.

7. Step 7.

   Check the consistency: if the queso is too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of the reserved Rotel liquid or more milk.

8. Step 8.

   Transfer to a warm serving dish or small slow cooker, sprinkle with cilantro if using and serve hot with tortilla chips.

Buy the cheese at the deli counter

The smooth, glossy texture of restaurant white queso comes from American cheese. It contains emulsifying salts that keep the proteins and fat together when melted, so it stays silky even as it cools. Natural cheeses like Monterey Jack or pepper Jack have better flavor, but used alone, they tend to turn stringy or grainy and leave a slick of oil on top.

Ask the deli counter for white American cheese in a single thick slab or thick slices, which are easier to break up than thin individually wrapped slices. Those plastic-wrapped “cheese product” singles also work less reliably. Adding a smaller amount of freshly shredded Monterey Jack gives the dip more real cheese flavor while the American cheese keeps it smooth.

Low heat is the whole technique

Heat the milk until it steams, then turn the burner down before any cheese goes in. Add the cheese gradually and keep stirring. Dumping it all in at once cools the milk and leaves a thick mass of half-melted cheese at the bottom of the pan that is prone to scorching.

Let the queso bubble gently at the edges at most. A hard boil can break the sauce, and a scorched layer on the bottom of the pan makes the whole batch taste burnt. A heavy-bottomed saucepan helps, as does scraping the bottom and corners with a flat spatula as you stir.

What Rotel adds, and why it gets drained

A can of Rotel combines diced tomatoes with green chiles and brings both acidity and gentle heat, which cut through the richness of the cheese. Its liquid is thin, though. Add it straight from the can and the queso becomes runny and slightly pink. Draining it and saving the liquid lets you add the tomato pieces for texture, then use the flavorful liquid to thin the queso as needed.

The original Rotel has a noticeable kick; mild Rotel suits a crowd with children or spice-shy guests. The extra can of green chiles adds mild pepper flavor without much more heat. For a spicier dip, add a minced jalapeño with the garlic or use hot Rotel.

Getting the consistency right

Queso thickens significantly as it cools, both in the pot and on the table. It should look slightly thinner in the pan than you want it to be when served. When a chip is dragged through it, the queso should coat the chip and slowly flow back into place. If it holds a stiff ridge, stir in a little more milk or Rotel liquid.

Keeping it warm at a party

A small slow cooker on the warm setting is the easiest way to keep queso dippable for a few hours. Stir it every 20 to 30 minutes, since a skin forms on the surface, and add a splash of milk if it thickens too much. A warm setting is better than low; queso held too hot for too long can start to separate at the edges.

Without a slow cooker, serve it in a warmed bowl or small cast-iron skillet and reheat it on the stove when it firms up. Do not leave queso without a heat source for more than 2 hours.

Making it ahead and reheating

You can make the queso up to 2 days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate it; it will set nearly solid. Reheat it in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each and adding a few tablespoons of milk to loosen it. Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freezing is not recommended, since the texture becomes grainy.

Variations

With chorizo: brown 8 ounces of Mexican chorizo, drain it well and stir it in with the Rotel.

Spicier: use pepper Jack instead of Monterey Jack and add a pinch of cayenne.

Topped with pico: spoon a little pico de gallo over the queso just before serving for fresh contrast.