Copycat Chipotle Queso Blanco

With Chipotle restaurant releasing their ingredient list of 13 components, it has made my job easier to recreate their new and improved version (not their old original version). After many (and I mean many!) recipe tests and eating countless bowls, this is recipe is a keeper. You’ll need a lot of tortilla chips because it’s impossible to find any measure of restraint when eating this cheesy dip! One of Chipotle’s ingredients calls for cultured cream (aka fermented cream) and this is what brings the tang to the queso. Fermented creams that you can purchase in your favorite grocery store are creme fraiche and sour cream – I went with sour cream.

Queso Spice

Chipotles in adobo (which are jalapeños that have been dried, smoked and packed in adobo sauce) is what gives the queso its very slight smokiness. I opted to use only the peppers, not the sauce, as this would turn this white queso a shade of orange. It is queso blanco (white) after all and I wanted to keep it that way. The spice comes from Serrano peppers. Again, the spice matches the spice from the restaurants, but you can add as much spice as you like if you like a little more zip.

Queso serving tip:

To keep warm for a party or entertaining, serve in a slow cooker set to warm.

Queso Nachos

Wondering what to do with leftover queso? Last night I made nachos from things I had in the fridge, Pulled Pork, cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro. (pic below). This was an easy dinner.

Gluten-free queso

Because this recipe is thickened with corn starch, it is naturally gluten-free.

Pre-grated cheese vs. grating yourself

Please buy blocks of cheese and grate them yourself. If you use pre-grated cheese, you may find the queso turns gritty or grainy. This is because the cheese has powdered additives to prevent clumping.

Tips

Tips to prevent curdling or grainy queso or grainy cheese sauce:

Slow and steady heat – If you heat over high heat, this heats the liquid too quickly. You want to slowly bring up to a simmer over medium heat or medium-low heat is best. And never boil. Always grate the cheese yourself. Pre-grated cheese has anti-clumping added and this will affect the texture of the sauce. If you’re using white flour, always mix into the fat before adding liquid, this makes a roux. This serves 2 purposes. To cook out the raw flour flavor and prevent lumps. When using cornstarch, make a slurry. This means mixing in a little of your liquid (water, milk, cream) into the cornstarch to make it smooth before adding to the sauce. To reheat your queso or cheese sauce, add to a pan and heat low and slow, stirring often.