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All Natural Queso Dip

I love queso dip, but I’m not super crazy about a certain processed orange cheese that comes in a box (who shall remain nameless) that is a main ingredient in most queso dips. I’m not a total health nut (hello chewy chocolate toffee bars anyone? We also won’t talk about my addiction to gummy worms…), but I do like to use natural ingredients as much as possible. Plus the texture of the cheese that shall not be named just sort of creeps me out (this doesn’t mean I don’t actually eat it on occasion, but I just avoid it when possible).

A photo of queso ingredients

So I came up with this delicious and easy version with all natural ingredients.

It’s really not hard and I can usually throw it together in 10 minutes or so.

Basically you just need to make a bechamel sauce (which sounds fancy, french and complicated but it’s not!). First melt your butter.

Cheese and Butter

Mix in the flour and let it cook a minute or two.

A close up of a metal pan filled with soup and a spoon, with Cheese and Spinach

Whisk in the milk and let simmer until thickened. This usually only take a few minutes.

Cheese and Spinach Queso

Add cheese, spinach, and  your favorite salsa.

queso_dip_stove

Enjoy!

natural_queso_dip2

RECIPE:

3 TBS butter

3 TBS flour

1 C milk

1 cup shredded cheese (I used monterrey jack, but you can use cheddar or pepper jack even)

1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained of all liquid

1/4 C of Salsa

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, mix in flour and let cook for a few minutes until golden brown. Slowly whisk in milk and let simmer until thickened. Add cheese, spinach and salsa, stir until melted. If the sauce is too thick add more milk, or too runny add more cheese.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

A quick note about the salsa, I use  Juan O Sullivans spicy habenero salsa – we used to buy it at our local farmers market when we lived in Iowa. We are so obsessed with it that we actually still order it and have it shipped to us here in Michigan. They haven’t paid me to say that I just really really like their salsa :)  So if you are using a mild salsa you may want to add a bit more to up the flavor in your queso dip, but a little of the habenero salsa goes a looooong way!

A bowl of food, with Cheese and Spinach Queso

Try this for your next game day party!

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23 Comments

  1. When you say a box of spinach, do you mean a 10 oz. box? Mine looks a whole lot more spinachy than yours. It’s good, just looks different. :)
    Thanks,
    Christy

  2. Yum! I love queso dip and the fact that you added spinach to this makes me even more excited to try it!

  3. This looks so good and I am so not a fan of the nameless cheese! I also love hiding a little spinach in here and there to get some veggies consumed by the kiddos! Will try this one for sure!

    Take care,

    Trish

  4. I am a dip girl! I am going to try this out as soon as possible….like NOW! he! he! Thanks for the recipe!

  5. OH MY! That sounds wonderful! I’m with you on the weird boxed stuff…creeps me out too. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely give this one a try the next time we need some queso dip. :)
    Christy

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