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Queso con Carne

January 29, 2015 by hapagirl 12 Comments

Queso con Carne Banner

The Super Bowl has become one of the biggest food “holidays” in the U.S., perhaps second only to Thanksgiving.  Even people (such as myself) who don’t follow the game, attend Super Bowl parties for the food.

Every party needs a great dip.  So when I was bouncing recipes off my husband, he emphatically said, “you have to make my mom’s tex-mex dip!”

If I even dared to suggest other types of dip, I heard, “NO!  You have to make tex-mex dip!”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard him be so passionate about something.  I’m not quite sure how to take that… considering his biggest affection apparently lies with cheese dip.  Ha! I kid.

Queso-con-Carne-Pin

My mother-in-law sent me the recipe with a note saying that whenever she makes it for parties it’s always crazy popular and she hardly ever has anything leftover.  Reading the recipe, I could see why.  Cheese, salsa, ground beef, sausage… it had all of the makings of a fantastic cheese dip!

As some of you may already know, when you try to make cheese dip using real cheese, you always end up with the oil separating into an unappealing goopy mess.  Traditionally this dip is made with Velveeta, which will certainly give you a velvety texture.  But I’ve found that you can make smooth and creamy cheese that doesn’t separate, simply by starting with a béchamel sauce.  One of the 5 mother sauces, béchamel is a base for dishes such as lasagna, gratins, mac n’ cheese, and cheese dip.  It makes sauces thick, luscious, and helps to prevent them from separating.

Feel free to try other types of cheese or combinations thereof.  Just be sure it’s a good melting cheese, such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, or Fontina.  (Mozzarella will not work, as it’s too stringy).  If you’d like, you may omit the meat to make this dish vegetarian – another delicious option.

Queso-con-Carne

My husband and I sat down with a generous helping of Queso con Carne and a big bag of chips, and I’m a bit embarrassed to say we polished off the entire bowl!   It was every bit as good as my husband said it would be – from now on, this will be my go-to party dip!

Queso con Carne
Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: Tex-Mex, American
Author: Adapted from my MIL, Pat
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: serves 6
Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground pork sausage
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 24 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 1-10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
  • [url href=”http://hapanom.com/?s=pico+de+gallo” target=”_blank” title=”pico de gallo”]pico de gallo[/url], drained
  • kosher salt
  • tortilla chips or soft flour tortillas for serving
Instructions
  1. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and sausage. Stir occasionally to make sure it’s browning evenly. The meat is done cooking when it’s nicely browned and there are no signs of pink when you break open larger pieces. Drain off the excess grease and set aside.
  2. In a small sauce pan, or in a microwave, heat the milk to steaming, do not let it boil.
  3. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, don’t let if brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the mixtures turns a light, blond color. Slowly add the milk while whisking vigorously and continuously. Once smooth and thickened add the cheese and stir to melt.
  4. Add the cream of mushroom and stir until smooth. Then add the pico de gallo and cooked beef and sausage. Stir to combine and season with salt, if needed.
  5. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or warm soft flour tortillas. Enjoy!
Notes
I use homemade pico de gallo in this recipe, but sometimes it can be found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, if you’d like to cut back on prep time.
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Blog, Cheese & Dairy, Dishes, Fall, Latin, New Year's Eve, Party Foods, Recipes, Sides, Snacks, Sports Parties, Spring, Summer, Winter Tagged With: Beef, carne, cheese, chili, cinco de mayo, dip, hamburger, mushroom, party, pork, queso, salsa, sausage

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Comments

  1. Annie+@+ciaochowbambina says

    February 2, 2015 at 10:39 am

    So now I want to have another party just to make this dip! I love every flavor you’ve described here!! And I really love that it’s a family recipe! Nice!!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      February 2, 2015 at 11:00 am

      Thanks, Annie! It was a big hit at our Super Bowl party last night. My mother-in-law certainly makes a mean dip 😉

      Reply
  2. Nagi@RecipeTinEats says

    January 30, 2015 at 2:41 pm

    YES! I totally agree re: good base for cheesy dips! And also that you’ve used cream of mushroom. I make my nachos with cornflour, evaporated milk and plenty of cheese of course! I really want to try this version! I have never made a Queso Con Carn because every recipe I have seen I KNEW would end up separating and also you’d have to keep it warm when serving. Whereas this looks like it stays dippable even if cooled?

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      January 30, 2015 at 8:14 pm

      I’ve heard of using corn starch and evaporated milk to make cheese dip – I imagine it’s like a quick béchamel. That’s another great option! Yes, so this cheese will stay “dippable” when cooled. Total disclosure – it will get that thin skin on top if it hasn’t been dipped in awhile – but that will happen with any cheese dip. The important thing is that it doesn’t separate or fall apart when it cools 🙂

      Reply
  3. Mira says

    January 30, 2015 at 2:21 pm

    I’m in love with your Super Bowl appetizers Kathleen! No wonder this is a very popular recipe, it looks fantastic ! So many wonderful ingredients inside! Need to make it!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      January 30, 2015 at 8:15 pm

      Thanks, Mira! My mother-in-law is a wonderful cook – I was so happy she shared this recipe with me.

      Reply
  4. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

    January 30, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    This looks so good, I want to eat it with a spoon not a chip! 😉

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      January 30, 2015 at 8:16 pm

      Uh… yeah, I’m already guilty of that 😛

      Reply
  5. Culinary Ginger says

    January 30, 2015 at 11:25 am

    I could probably eat the whole bowl myself, it looks so good.

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      January 30, 2015 at 8:16 pm

      Thanks, Janette. No judgements 😉

      Reply
  6. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

    January 30, 2015 at 10:30 am

    We don’t do the Super Bowl without queso!! and you made this with a béchamel sauce?! I LOVE this!!!! gorgeous! and hooray for your mother-in-law’s *updated* tex-mex dip!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      January 30, 2015 at 8:18 pm

      Thanks, Alice! Queso is definitely a requirement at any Super Bowl – I yours is a great one!

      Reply

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I'm Kathleen and I live in the Atlanta area. In a lifelong search to discover where I belong and what group I identify with, I found that food is the strongest tie that brings us together. On Hapa Nom Nom, food is a kind of connective tissue, bringing my background, family, travels, and tastes together in one delicious bite. Find out more!

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