2015 Chili Accessory: Ghost Pepper White Queso

Let's be real here: who doesn't love a good queso? Actually, who doesn't love a queso, "good" or not? I brought a couple jars of the cheap stuff you buy at the store for my bachelorette party and people were literally gobbling it up with a spoon!

Honestly, I'd pinned a few white quesos long before we developed the 2015 pork white chili...the "white" theme just gave me an excuse to try it out. Believe me, you don't need chili as an excuse to make this gooey food of the gods.

For the competition, I imported provel (aka, an uber-processed cheese found only in St. Louis...think velveeta but with swiss, mozzarella and provolone). But we've used white american cheese and it's just as yummy (as would white velveeta, but alas, that's not to be found in our snobby Brooklyn grocery stores!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil.

1 yellow onion, diced

3 large jalapeno or serrano, seeds and stem removed; diced

2 Poblanos, diced

16 ounces white American cheese, shredded or cubed (Provel or white velveeta would also work)

4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2+ cup cream or half-and-half

5 ounces salsa verde

2 5-ounce cans diced green chiles

1 teaspoon ghost pepper hot sauce (alternatively, use sriracha or as hot a hot sauce you can find...plan on using more)

STEPS:

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and peppers until softened and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cheeses and 1/2 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted.

Add the cans of chiles, salsa verde and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.. Keep on low heat until serving.

NOTES:

The queso thins out the longer you heat it, so air on the thick side.

As with anything related to the ghost pepper sauce, it's much easier to add more spice than take it out...start slow and add more if you want the heat.