Chile con queso facts for kids
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A bowl of chile con queso served with tortilla chips as an appetizer in a Tex-Mex restaurant
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| Type | Dip |
|---|---|
| Course | Appetizer or side dish |
| Main ingredients | Cheese (often Velveeta or other processed cheese, Monterey Jack or cream cheese), cream, chili peppers |
Chile con queso (say "CHEE-lay kon KAY-so") is a yummy, cheesy dip! Its name comes from Spanish and means "chile with cheese". People often just call it queso for short. It's usually served as an appetizer (a snack before a meal) or a side dish in Tex-Mex restaurants. You dip tortilla chips into it, but you can use other things too!
Contents
What is Chile con Queso?
Chile con queso is a popular dish from Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States cooking. It first came from the northern part of Mexico, specifically the state of Chihuahua. It's similar to other cheesy dishes like Queso Chihuahua and Queso flameado. You'll mostly find chile con queso on menus in Tex-Mex restaurants, especially in the southwestern and western parts of the United States.
What's Inside This Cheesy Dip?
This delicious dip is a smooth, creamy sauce. It's made by melting different kinds of cheese together. Common cheeses used are Velveeta (a type of processed cheese), Monterey Jack, or cream cheese. It also has cream and chili peppers, which give it a little kick!
Many restaurants add other yummy ingredients to their chile con queso. These can include pico de gallo (a fresh salsa), black beans, guacamole (avocado dip), or even ground beef or pork.
How Do People Eat Chile con Queso?
Chile con queso is always served warm. It's a great dip for tortilla chips. You can also use thicker pita chips.
Besides dipping, you can also put chile con queso on other Tex-Mex foods. It tastes great on fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, migas, or quesadillas.
While many Tex-Mex restaurants give you chips and salsa for free, you usually have to pay extra for queso. It can be white or yellow, depending on the cheeses used.
It's important not to confuse "queso" with "cheese dip." "Cheese dip" is just cheese without the peppers.
See also
In Spanish: Chili con queso para niños
