Queso Dip Recipe: No Velveeta Necessary

This easy queso dip recipe is made without using processed cheese such as Velveeta and still maintains a creamy texture with just the slightest bit of heat.

My daughter loves the white queso cheese served in many Mexican restaurants. In fact, we all love it. I wanted to try to make this at home but I knew that my husband is not a fan of processed cheese. So I set out to make a creamy queso dip with real cheese just like the restaurant style white cheese dip.

It took a couple of tries but I was able to make a delicious queso without using Velveeta cheese or other processed cheeses.

This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there’s no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

It ended up being really simple. Just three ingredients are all that's needed. Evaporated milk, chihuahua cheese, and a jar of jalapeno slices.

The first time I made this dip I tried making a roux with butter and flour and then adding in milk and cheese. This is what I've done when making macaroni and cheese and it works well.

However, it had a funny taste and texture and wasn't the familiar silky smooth dip that you get at the restaurant.

So I thought I'd try my husband's cousin Joey's idea when making cream of crab soup. Joey used a can of evaporated milk for his creamy soup and it's delicious and creamy but not too thick.

The chihuahua cheese is already a bagged pre-shredded cheese and can be found at my grocery store with other fancy cheese. However, you can also use a block of this cheese and grate it yourself.

Substitutions for Chihuahua Cheese

You can use other mild cheeses such as muenster, a mild cheddar cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese. Pepper jack cheese would also be good.

The addition of pickled chopped jalapeno slices and some of the brine from the bottle adds just the right heat and seasoning.

Whip it all together for a yummy delicious creamy dip.

Serve this deliciously cheesy dip with your favorite tortilla chips or scoops as shown here. Or keep it low carb and offer celery, carrot, and bell pepper sticks. It's a real crowd pleaser to serve on game day or an easy recipe to bring to a super bowl party.

You could also use it as a cheese sauce on taco night or a topping for enchiladas.

Keep any leftover queso in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can easily reheat it on the stove top or pop it in the microwave at 30-second intervals stirring between until it's smooth and creamy again.

I'll admit it's not 100% exactly like our favorite Mexican restaurant's queso blanco dip. In fact, it's not quite as salty so maybe a little extra salt would work. However, this homemade queso recipe has a nice creamy consistency that comes pretty close.