Texas queso can be found on top of nachos or served with chips for a cheesy snack. There are countless versions of this dip—ours is easy to make yet packed with flavor. When you start to melt the cheese it may look a little funny, but keep stirring and you’ll have a creamy, smooth dip in no time.

Game plan: You can grate the cheese using a food processor to speed up the prep. You can also prepare the cheese and onions up to 2 days ahead. Just keep everything covered and refrigerated until you are ready to make the dip.

This recipe was featured as part of our Super Bowl for a Crowd menu, as well as our Bar Snacks and Tailgating Recipes photo galleries. For more Texan game day inspiration, see our Texas Caviar recipe.

  • Yield: 8 to 10 servings (about 4 cups)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 20 mins
  • Active: 20 mins

  • 4 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup minced white onion (about 1 small onion)
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced mild green chiles, juices reserved

  1. Place cheeses in a large bowl, sprinkle with cornstarch, and toss to coat. Transfer cheese mixture to a large saucepan and add milk. Set over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is smooth and melted, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. Stir in onion and chiles with reserved juices until well combined. To serve, transfer dip to a slow cooker set on low or keep in the saucepan at a simmer for up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips and cut-up raw carrots, jicama, celery, and radishes.

Beverage pairing: Radeberger Pilsner, Germany. If this queso had called for Velveeta cheese, like the kind that you get at baseball concession stands, a basic American lager such as Bud would have been a fine choice. But since we’re using extra-sharp cheddar, an extra-sharp beer is called for. Radeberger is a German-style pilsner, as opposed to a Czech-style, meaning that its hops are a little more shrill and its body a little lighter and less malty, which makes it an apt match for the sharpness of the cheese.