Monterey Jack Queso Dip

The “chips and dip” area in the grocery store is always an interesting place for me. The variety in salsa type dips is astonishing! So many ways to be creative and change up the flavor in salsa.

Now, I feel like the manufacturers are applying that same mentality to queso dip. One of the popular variations is to use Monterey Jack cheese to make queso dip. And why not? “Mo Jack” cheese is delicious and melty, both great qualities in a cheese for dip.

And it’s just as easy to make yourself. With only 4 ingredients and 10 minutes of your time, you can make a delicious warm queso dip just ready for dipping into with a pile of tortilla chips.

Why I love this Queso Dip

I usually make Queso (without Velveeta!) using 4-cheese Mexican blend. In order to make a Monterey Jack version, I simply swapped the cheese blend for a bag of all Monterey Jack. Easy-peasy, and totally delicious!

The only discernable difference with this queso is that it is a lighter color. The bag of 4 cheeses does include Monterey Jack cheese, but also cheddar, queso quesadilla, and asadero cheeses. Since not all these cheeses are “white” in color, the queso made from them will have a tint of orange in the color.

Ingredients

How to make the Monterey Jack Queso Dip

Start by warming a can of evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil, then add the bag (2 cups) of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Heat and stir to melt the cheese.

Now, add a can of Rotel tomatoes and chilis to the saucepan. I usually stick with the original version of Rotel, but the can with habanero peppers is also a good choice, for when you want a little extra kick of spice.

Speaking of spice, I also add a little cayenne pepper. This can be considered optional, if you are sensitive to heat. I add ¼ teaspoon and find it to be just right. Not “hot” by any means, just a little something to keep the dip interesting.

Sula’s Tips

Try different versions (or brands) of Rotel tomatoes to see if you prefer different flavors. I mentioned the habanero peppers version, but there are others to try as well.

It’s easy to vary the spice by adjusting the quantity of cayenne pepper. If you are sensitive to it, you can omit or maybe just add ⅛ teaspoon to see how it tastes to you. You could also substitute with chili powder for a more mild spice alternative.

Use the bagged pre-shredded cheese for this dip. In many recipes, we are told to avoid this cheese as it is coated with something (usually potato starch) to help prevent the shreds from sticking together. In the case of this dip, that potato starch helps to thicken the dip as you heat it. It makes the texture perfect!

I like to make this for dipping air fryer nachos - because you can never have too much cheese!

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📖 Recipe