Mexican Restaurant Style White Cheese (Queso) Dip
I grew up in California and definitely had my share of awesome Mexican food before moving away to join the Air Force (side note: Columbus, MS was not exactly overflowing with great Mexican options…).
I had all kinds of yumminess. One thing I didn’t have? Ever? Queso. That warm, gooey, slightly spicy, white cheese dip perfect for dipping chips or covering food.
I don’t know, maybe it existed, maybe I just never thought to order it, maybe I’m the only one on Earth that wasn’t smothering their chips and food in cheese dip. For all I know, the rest of California was literally swimming in the stuff…but I definitely was not. No, my first experience with queso—the dip, not cheese in general—didn’t occur until I got to the South.
Queso is ubiquitous in this part of the country; I honestly don’t believe I’ve been to a Mexican restaurant and not had queso in the past 13 years! Personally, I prefer a killer salsa to queso any day—lol, my parents have a story they love to tell about me eating a bowl of salsa with a spoon when I was like 3—but my family? Oh boy, are they queso lovers.
A bowl of queso doesn’t stand a chance in the presence of my husband and daughter. For a long time, queso cravings have been the sole reason we’ve spent too much money on sub-par Mexican food rather than cooking at home.
My husband would send me a text asking to have Mexican for dinner…I would counter with an offer to make it at home…and he would come back with “but I want queso, I’m craving queso…
