Carnival Queso Dip

How often have you had to debate between getting queso dip or salsa to go with your tortilla chips? Why not just combine them and get the best of both worlds? Whip up this easy and delicious Carnival Queso Dip!

Start by assembling all of your ingredients. This will include a cup of heavy whipping cream, two cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, four ounces of cream cheese, a quarter cup of jalapeño peppers to go with a quarter cup of the liquid reserve and a quarter cup of sliced green onion. Don’t forget your spices! You’ll need ground cumin, chili powder and salt for this queso recipe. Finally, grab your favorite medium salsa. We prefer Simply Nature Organic Medium Salsa to go with some Clancy’s Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips.

Now that you’re all set up and ready to cook, start by heating up a small pot over medium heat and placing the heavy whipping cream in it. Stir while it warms for two minutes before adding the cheddar cheese and cream cheese. The goal here is to warm the cheese enough to melt without letting it get so hot that the cheese begins to break. So, keep stirring, and when the cheese is incorporated, add in the jalapeños, reserve liquid and spice mix. Once everything is warm and melted, go ahead and cut the heat.

Time to transfer to a serving dish and top with the last two ingredients—green onion and salsa. For the best presentation, we recommend putting a healthy dollop of salsa right in the middle of the queso dip, and then sprinkle the fresh-cut green onion around the bowl. This will give anyone digging into this awesome queso dip the option to include the salsa or opt for maximum cheesiness.

This creamy and comforting Carnival Queso Dip is the perfect potluck or game-day tailgating recipe. It’s so simple and quick to assemble, but it will leave you and your friends satisfied with its cheesy and flavorful goodness!  

Prep Time:  2 minutes   |    Cook Time:  5 minutes   |    Total Time:  7 minutes   |    Servings:  10

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Friendly Farms  Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 cups  Happy Farms  Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese
• 4 ounces  Happy Farms  Cream Cheese
• ¼ cup chopped  Tuscan Garden  Jalapeño Peppers, drained, ¼ cup of liquid reserved
• ½ teaspoon  Stonemill  Ground Cumin
• ½ teaspoon  Stonemill  Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoon ground  Stonemill  Sea Salt Grinder
• 1 cup  Simply Nature  Organic Medium Salsa
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 13 ounces  Clancy's  Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips

Directions:

1. In a small pot over medium heat, heat cream for 2 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and cream cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Stir in jalapeños, reserved liquid, cumin, chili powder and salt. Cook until heated through.
2. Transfer to a serving dish, top with salsa and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Linsey, ALDI Test Kitchen