This white queso cheese dip is definitely reminiscent of the old Chili's white queso dip, except no weird spinach blended into it. Nothing against spinach at all, but it felt a bit out of place in a white queso dip. Super Bowl Sunday is thee day of the queso dip-salsa-tortilla chip-guacamole flavor profile, right? I mean, at least one thing you serve on Super Bowl Sunday has to be chips and salsa in some form. It's practically a requirement of the celebration. So today I give you my white queso dip with crispy crumbled beef. Plus an awesome, quick guacamole recipe too. You're going to love it.
Melty Queso Dip with Seasoned Crispy Crumbled Beef: The Answer to Every Question
The key to the crispy crumbled beef is cooking on high heat and breaking it down into tiny bits. There's a little taco seasoning (or fajita seasoning) involved and a small blob of tomato paste toward the end. But first we want to get it small and crumbly and get that crispy sear all over it. I love that. In one pot, we're melting cheese - super easy. In a large pan we're searing the ground beef - also super easy and make-ahead friendly. I find this flavor profile one of the ultimate go-to flavor profiles when entertaining a crowd. But my favorite part of this dip other than the cheese (the cheese, the cheese, of course the CHEESE!!) is that crispy crumbled beef. Please take your beef to the next level and crisp it up. It's insanely delicious.
Breakdown of the Other Queso Dip Add-Ons
Oh, if I admitted to you how much cheese I've been eating lately you would call the cheese police. They do exist by the way. They've been called to my house many times. They have regular police uniforms, but their hats are blocks of cheese so that's when you really know you've gone too far. As soon as you see those cheese hats racing to your front door, you must put down that block of cheese you've been eating from your hand like a sandwich, and surrender.
Apart from the cheese, there are some other great flavors to go with this awesome dip.
Optional But Necessary, Know What I Mean?
- The extra crispy crumbled beef. I spooned on some of the crispy beef to garnish the queso dip, but served the rest on the side and let people help themselves.
- Guacamole. When I shopped for this recipe and passed the store-made guacamole I was tempted. I stood staring at it for far too long. The thought of NOT making homemade guacamole made me smile. Then I snapped back to reality remembering how many times I fell into this trap. The trap of guacamole that looks amazing, but somehow always tastes awful. Too salty. Too spicy. Too many filler ingredients. Make your own - it's not hard.
- Tortilla Chips. You're going to need a sturdy chip for this one. I usually go for Tostito's original.
- Salsa. This is a personal choice so pick your favorite brand here. You can make it homemade a day or two before game day if you have the time. I do have a great salsa recipe if you're interested in that. When I don't have time, I go for On The Border mild salsa. It's a little smoky with great cumin flavor and I love that.
- Scallions. I love chopped scallions and I use them to garnish the queso dip. I always like extra so I throw all the scallions in one of my small dishes and offer it up for people who want more scallions like me!
- Hot chili peppers. Little, tiny chili peppers that pack a massive heat punch. I like a bit of spice. If you want to give this queso dip a real kick, grab a handful of tiny chili peppers and saute them on high heat a few minutes with oil and salt.
Easy Steps to Make Queso Dip with Crispy Crumbled Beef
How to Make Guacamole: It's Just 5 Ingredients! You Got This!
Are You Looking for More Super Bowl Sunday Treats? I Gotcha Covered!
- Super Bowl Sunday Food Ideas (see video below: a round-up of 12 game day recipe ideas)
- The Ultimate Spaghetti Lasagna
- Big Batch Spaghetti Sauce
- Moroccan Spiced Phyllo Meat Pie
- Phyllo Cup Appetizers FIVE ways
- Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon
- Nana's Weird Hot Dog Appetizer (kids will love it - adults too!)
- Crunchy, Cheesy Patty Melts on Grilled Sourdough
- Balsamic Cholula Chicken (cook all in one pan)
- Crunchy Coconut Chicken Fingers
- Brown Sugar Bacon Sticks Brushed w/Maple Syrup
Super Bowl White Queso Dip with Crispy Crumbled Beef
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 6-8 people 1x
Description
It’s game day and time for some finger foods. My Super Bowl white queso dip with crispy crumbled beef is a guaranteed touchdown! Ugh, can’t believe I wrote that.
Ingredients
- Big bag of tortilla chips
For the Queso
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups warm milk (more if needed)
- 1 ¾ cups American cheese, cubed (see note #1)
- 1 cup shredded Jack cheese
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt, to taste (see note #2)
- ¾ cup chopped scallions
- 2 teaspoons cilantro, optional garnish
For the crispy beef
- 1-1.20 pounds of ground beef (80/20 blend) (see note #3)
- 1 ½ teaspoons of taco or fajita seasoning (see note #4)
- ½ cup of onion, finely diced (about ½ of a medium onion)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (mixed with 1 ½ tablespoons water)
- Salt, to taste if you think it needs it
For the guacamole
- 3 soft, ripe avocados
- Juice from one lime
- 1 teaspoon of cilantro (more if you want)
- 1 tablespoon onion, finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt (more if you want)
Add-ons (serve on the side of the dip)
- Tortilla chips (don’t forget these!!)
- Salsa
- Lime wedges
- Scallions
- Cilantro
- Spicy sautéed chilies, optional
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion. You’ll use this for the beef, but reserve a heaping tablespoon for later when you make the guacamole.
- Chop the scallions.
- Chop the cilantro.
- Put your spicy chilies (if you’re using) in a small pan and put on stovetop for now.
- Cut your American cheese into cubes. I use sliced cheese from the deli and cut a stack of it into strips, then into cubes.
- Measure out your jack cheese and set aside with the American cheese.
- On the stovetop back burner: add a splash of oil and a pinch of salt to the chili pan and sauté over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir a couple of times while cooking, then remove from heat and set aside. The chilies are optional.
- Melt butter in a pot to start building the queso dip. Should be low-to-medium heat here.
- Add a splash of oil and the ground beef to another large pan and cook on medium to high heat. Break down the beef into crumbly bits. You should continue doing this through the cooking process. Cooking the beef should take about 8 minutes or so total.
- Add flour to the melted butter to make a roux. This is a thickening agent for sauces. Stir for a few minutes to cook the raw flour taste out.
- Add warm milk to the butter and flour mixture and whisk until combined. I heated the milk in the microwave first. Add onion powder and whisk again. Let this cook a couple of minutes on medium heat then add the cheeses. Give it a gentle stir, then let the heat do the work and melt the cheese. Should only take a few minutes.
- Continue chopping and cooking the ground beef until it’s cooked through. Push beef to one side and add diced onion to other side of pan and let sit and cook a couple minutes. Stir a couple times.
- Mix onions to combine with beef. The beef should be getting a good crispy sear by now. Cook beef and onions another couple of minutes.
- Mix one tablespoon of tomato paste with 1 ½ tablespoons of water and add to the beef mixture.
- Add your taco or fajita seasoning to the beef too. Mix everything together until well combined. Taste it here. If it needs salt add a little and taste it again until it’s to your preference.
- The cheese should be melted and your queso dip should be ready. Taste this too. The cheese has salt so it’s up to you. If you think it needs a pinch of salt, add it here. If your queso is too thick, thin it out with a little more warm milk. If it’s too thin, add a little more cheese.
- Make your guacamole last. I do this last because avocados are unpredictable and can brown easily. Add the chopped avocado, lime juice, onion, cilantro and salt to a large bowl and mash it with a fork or a potato masher if you have it. Make it as chunky or smooth as you like.
- Assemble your queso. Pour the hot queso in a large serving bowl. Spoon a mound of beef on top. Sprinkle some scallions and cilantro on top. If you’re using the chilies, garnish the top with a few of those. If they are really spicy – warn people of that. J Serve immediately.
- I put all my extras in little serving bowls. The tortilla chips, extra scallions, cilantro, lime wedges (optional), crispy beef, salsa and chilies. Everyone can serve themselves. Enjoy!
Equipment
Pasta Bowls (more colors available)
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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- Buy sliced American cheese from the deli counter. I think I bought about 1 pound of the American cheese and used ¾ of the package to cut into cubes. I always have American cheese on hand so buying a little more than needed works for me. Better to have too much than not enough.
- Taste the queso dip before adding salt. If you add salt only add ¼ teaspoon, then taste again. Cheese has a lot of salt in it and your brand may have more salt than mine. Always better to add a little at a time and taste it until it’s right for you.
- Ground beef packages are rarely sold in EXACTLY one-pound packages. I used 1.18 pounds of beef for this recipe. So a little above or below this amount should be fine.
- Taco and fajita seasoning can be very salty depending on the brand. After you mix the spice into the beef blend, taste it. Add a little salt if you think it needs it. Or if you want more of the seasoning, you can certainly add more.
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