homemade queso blanco

I volunteered to make queso for the Cuatro de Mayo party we attended Saturday night, and it wasn't Friday night that I realized I had never made queso before.

It took a while to find a recipe that didn't call for Velveeta. If you're really determined to be authentic, use asadero cheese (also called Oaxaca).

I'm happy to say the queso was a huge hit! It's got a slight kick to it, but not so much that you'll be fanning your mouth. There was about 1/4 cup left over from the party, so I put it over rice and beans tonight alongside beef tamales. OHMYYUM.

from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Lola's queso blanco
(I used this recipe for inspiration and then threw in a bunch of other stuff I had on hand.)
makes about 4 cups of queso - perfect amount for a large party!

1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 serrano chilies, seeds and stem removed, diced
2 jalapeño chilies, seeds and stem removed, diced
24 oz white American cheese, shredded
1 firm tomato, seeds removed, diced
1 can diced green chilies
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 pint half and half

optional:

3 tbsp juice from a jar of diced jalapeños
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tbsp hot sauce

Cook the onion and peppers in the oil until softened. Place all ingredients into a crock pot and turn on low, or heat all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, adding the half and half slowly and stirring until absorbed.