The Pioneer Woman's Mexican Queso Recipe Will Make Your Soul Sing (8 Ingredients) by Donna John

This queso recipe is a little different from the usual quesos I make. This queso is from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! by Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman). With the addition of freshly roasted peppers, chorizo and bacon, it is not lacking in the flavor department.

"It's tough to improve on the basic queso recipe, which is so easy anyone can make it blindfolded," Rae writes in her cookbook. "But when we were testing recipes for the restaurant at The Mercantile, I knew I wanted the queso to be something special, considering it's its own food group in our household. And oh ... is it ever special. It's everything that good about regular ol' queso, but with all these little flecks of flavor that make your soul (and your taste buds) sing."

To roast the peppers, lay them on your gas burner right on the flame and cook, turning often, until charred and blackened. Remove to a plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap and let them steam for a few minutes to loosen the skin. Remove the skin and seeds once cool enough to handle and chop. If you don't have a gas stove, you can do this in the oven under the broiler. (Check out the health benefits of peppers.)

Rae suggests adding in two minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a smoky, spicy kick, or substituting freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese for a half pound of the Velveeta. You can also stir in some lime juice at the end of cooking for a touch of citrus. Serve this creamy Mexican queso dip with tortilla chips.

Cuisine: Mexican / Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Servings: 16 (makes about 6 cups)

Ingredients

• 6 Anaheim or hatch chiles, roasted, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
• 9 ounces (1 package) fresh chorizo
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds Velveeta or other processed cheese, cut into cubes
• 20 ounces (2 cans) diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup finely minced cilantro (optional)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the chorizo and bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling as you stir, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until onion has softened and bacon is cooked through. Pour the ingredients onto a paper towel to absorb as much grease as possible. (Make this a vegetarian queso by omitting the bacon and chorizo.)
2. Put the Velveeta cubes into a slow cooker. Add the bacon-sausage mixture, tomatoes with green chiles and milk. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes, stirring once. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook another 20 minutes. If using, stir in the cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips. Store the queso in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave. Keep the queso hot during your get-together by placing it in a slow cooker on low heat. Stir often.

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