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Get your bathtub ready - Picadillo Queso

Writer's picture: JulietJuliet

I've been following the food blog Homesick Texan until she set up a pay wall (really? for a food blog?) and bought this cookbook via pre-order in 2017 (pre-pay wall). As is a theme in this blog, I never made anything from it, but, since my family had a (albeit short lived) faux-liday called "Dip-a-palooza" for a few years where we'd watch a movie while eating 4-5 dips/apps, I figured I'd get my chance. Then, our two year old arrived and parties of any kind have been sparse to say the least.

Confession, I love Chili's - their chips, salsa, and queso is the stuff of legend in my book. Their queso is smooth, orange, and beefy. I set out to recreate that magic at home. This book not only has an amazing variety of queso recipes, it also goes into the ingredients and science that is developing a smooth, stable, hot dippable. As someone who has literally never eaten American cheese by choice - yes, even on burgers - I'm not sure that I want to know "how the sausage is made," but still I persist...

 

Ingredients:


Picadillo

1/2 lb ground beef [I used 94/6 and it was a bit too lean - I would go for 90/10 if not 85/15 next time]

1/4 c. diced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic [You know me, I used 4-6]

1 TB chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp kosher salt


Queso

2 TB butter

1/4 c. diced yellow onion

4 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced [I had my spice haters to feed, so I went with just 1 - I'd do 2-3 next time]

2 TB cornstarch

2 cloves garlic [Again, 4-6]

2 c. chicken broth

1 lb yellow American Cheese, shredded [this is the stuff you get sliced at the deli, not Kraft Singles as it was a different texture. Velveeta is a whole other animal per the book]

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cayenne


Guacamole [you can put a scoop in the queso if you want to feel Texan]

2 ripe avocados, halved/peeled/pitted

2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped [one of the spice haters made this and included both!]

1/4 c. diced red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 TB fresh lime juice


Prep guac - In a bowl, using a fork, mash together the avocado with other ingredients. Set aside.


To make the picadillo, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the beef and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and continue to cook until the meat is well done, about 5 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasonings. Drain excess grease (if any) [I added a little water to give it some moisture].



To make the queso, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and jalapeños and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.



Whisk together the cornstarch and chicken broth until well combined, then pour in with the veggies. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for a couple of minutes, until mixture begins to thicken. Add the cheese, turn down the heat to low, and cook, stirring, until cheese has melted. Stir in the cumin, salt, and cayenne then taste and adjust seasonings.




The book recommends pouring into a serving bowl, chafing dish, or slow cooker then spooning the picadillo in the middle. We folded it in, Chili's style, then spooned into individual ramekins because Covid (first vaccinated family visit!).


Ok, I should have said this upfront. You will want to bathe in this queso - we dipped chips in it, added it to fajitas as a topping, and finally licked it from the ramekins with our fingers. It was THAT GOOD. My brother would like to put this in a keg so it was always available. It reheats wonderfully with 30 seconds in the microwave so even though you're going to want to, you don't HAVE to eat it all in one go. Now, to try the book's spinach artichoke queso and figure how much queso is acceptable in a weekly menu...


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