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Real Cheese Queso Dip Appetizer Recipe

10/02/2017 Kate Sorensen 70 Comments

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Lord, help us all! Our son found a love for processed cheese, but I made this Real Cheese Queso Dip that he also fell in love with! If you're looking for a queso dip, but not the regular Velveeta cheese dip, this is one of my favorite easy appetizers for you!

This queso dip - crockpot easy recipe is so good! #appetizers #quesoblanco #quesocheese

 

Real Cheese Queso Dip

I have a problem … care to listen for a hot second? My son (he's ten) … Well, he's officially hooked on Velveeta Rotel dip… you know, the kind with literally two ingredients that you get the heeby jeebys when you wonder just how a food product can stay “good” for that long on the shelf or in the fridge? YES! It's that one!

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queso dip

So, I set out to make the very best queso recipe that I could that contained real cheese – you know, a white queso with real cheese from the cheese counter.

And, I did it! Push the Velveeta cheese dip to the side, folks, there's a new favorite in town! This real cheese queso dip is the real deal and it is a winner, winner chicken dinner in the Sorensen household and I am so excited to share the recipe with you!

queso dip

For starters, you can either cook this cheese dip in the crockpot or on the stovetop. If you decide to make this on the stovetop, you'll definitely want to cook it very low and slow and keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. And, then after it's all ooey-gooey and melted, then consider transferring it to a crock pot. I love my 2 quart crock pot – it's the perfect size for entertaining! I have given this size of crockpot as gifts many a time as they're also perfect for keeping taco meat warm for tacos, getting a small amount of pulled pork ready for dinner and more.queso blanco





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Anyhow, this really is a dump and go recipe, so here's what you'll need:

velveeta cheese dip

Real Cheese Queso Dip

Preparation tip: in a medium size saucepan, combine all ingredients and stir often while this is heating up. Then, transfer to a 2 quart crock pot once heated. Keep on warm to keep the dip “dipable” and enjoy!

rotel dip

If you are looking for appetizers, you might also like these grape jelly meatballs that are always a hit, this spinach artichoke dip applebees recipe copycat or this salsa that tasted just like the kind that you'd get at a restaurant!

grape jelly and meatballs in a crockpot

spinach and artichoke dip recipe here

restaurant salsa recipe

3.37 from 11 votes

Print

Real Cheese Queso Dip Appetizer Recipe

Course

Appetizer
Cuisine

Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 8
Author Kate

Ingredients

  • 1/2
    lb
    Pepperjack Cheese – cubed
  • 1/2
    lb
    American Cheese (White) – cubed
  • 1
    cup
    whole milk
    (maybe more for thinning the dip out later)
  • 8
    oz
    cream cheese
  • 1/2
    cup
    regular sour cream
  • 1
    can
    Rotel
  • 1
    tsp
    garlic powder
  • 1
    tsp
    onion powder
  • 1
    tsp
    chili powder

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every so often.

    Or, in a medium size saucepan, combine all ingredients and stir often while this is heating up. Then, transfer to a 2 quart crock pot once heated. Keep on warm to keep the dip “dipable” and enjoy!

    queso dip

 

Want a cheese dip without velveeta? This is my go to no velveeta queso dip - the kids love this, too! This is a super easy appetizer for a crowd, too! #appetizer #cheese #crockpotcooking

Appetizers, In the Kitchen Easy Appetizers

Comments

  1. Heather Harrison says

    10/07/2017 at 6:38 am

    American cheese? Like Kraft singles?

    Reply
    • Kayse says

      10/07/2017 at 1:57 pm

      I would not use Kraft single. I just got Monterey Jack Black Cheese

      Reply
      • Joan says

        05/18/2022 at 2:41 pm

        5 stars
        Kraft singles are not real cheese. They are an oil base. Use the block or the UNWRAPPED slices. That is real cheese. I never buy the wraps.

        Reply
    • Shannon Z says

      10/07/2017 at 10:52 pm

      It looks like a cut up block of white american cheese.

      Reply
    • Kate Sorensen says

      12/04/2017 at 6:11 pm

      Hi Heather, I get mine from the meat counter. I hope that helps.

      -Kate

      Reply
    • Jana Rudisill says

      12/29/2017 at 1:20 pm

      Nope! Use white cheddar block cheese.

      Reply
      • Wendy Waldruff says

        04/19/2018 at 3:42 pm

        5 stars
        That’s what I’m using right now- not a fan of American cheese!!

        Reply
        • Marilyn Vance says

          01/06/2019 at 5:43 pm

          I couldn’t find a block if white American so I used a block of Monterey Jack

          Reply
          • Jill says

            01/31/2019 at 1:15 pm

            Was the dip good?

    • Carolyn says

      07/13/2018 at 8:28 pm

      4 stars
      I use Land O Lakes white American melting cheese. It comes in a block and it tastes just like the Mexican restaurant.

      Reply
    • beverly maio says

      02/24/2019 at 5:34 am

      LAND O LAKES IN A CHUNK SOLD IN THE DELI COUNTER

      Reply
  2. Susan says

    10/10/2017 at 11:09 am

    White American cheese is white velveeta. That being said, I think the dip looks good. But it is still made with white processed cheese.

    Reply
    • Heather says

      10/12/2017 at 11:58 am

      White American cheese out of the deli is nothing like Velveeta. You must have gotten the wrong stuff before.

      Reply
    • Shati says

      12/20/2017 at 6:48 am

      White American cheese is not white velvetta, it is real cheese just no coloring added to it. You buy it in blocks at the deli or in pkg where the yellow American cheddar is sold

      Reply
      • CHB says

        10/09/2021 at 10:51 am

        White American cheese is not real cheese… it’s a processed cheese, the same as yellow American cheese

        Reply
    • Gabi says

      06/23/2018 at 10:25 am

      How people can say that White American Cheese is not the same as velvetta is either mind boggling or ignorant.

      “American cheese is a type of processed cheese. It can be orange, yellow, or white in color, is mild, salty, and faintly sweet in flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a very low melting point.”

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese

      Reply
      • Lou Boly says

        11/26/2018 at 6:19 pm

        White American cheese actually has less cheese in it than Velveeta! (I worked for Kraft in R&D.)

        Reply
      • Kat says

        12/31/2020 at 4:21 am

        Gaby,

        There is American cheese food which like Velveeta is not real cheese and real American cheese that is actually cheese not the processed fake stuff.

        Reply
  3. Deb says

    10/10/2017 at 12:27 pm

    Sounds great. Looking forward to trying this. Do you drain the Rotel tomatoes? Thanks…

    Reply
    • Anita Feerer says

      11/10/2020 at 6:25 pm

      Made it in an insta pot tonight. It had a bit of texture to it, but I think it was from the fact that I used the Talbert sharp white American cheese, and store brand pepper jack. Otherwise everyone in the family liked it.

      Reply
  4. Linda Taylor says

    10/13/2017 at 9:14 am

    2 stars
    Made this yesterday…it is so so….nothing to brag about…Will probably not make it again. The chili powder taints the white color…

    Reply
  5. Jessica says

    10/13/2017 at 5:39 pm

    I made it this exactly as the recipe said and it was disgusting!! Gritty from the cream cheese I assume. How do I fix this? Otherwise I’m going to have throw it out as well. Waste of money!

    Reply
    • Jana Rudisill says

      12/29/2017 at 1:25 pm

      If the cream cheese made it “gritty” then you used too high of heat and it got boiled to some extent. Use the lowest heat of the 2 qt. crock pot and follow the instructions on the recipe. I would never use a regular pan to do anything but heat the milk to where it barely steams, not bubble or boil. That can cause problems of this sort.

      Reply
  6. Danna Lynn says

    10/14/2017 at 3:37 pm

    Lol, the CHILI POWDER tainted the color? What? Did you find white rotel or something? LMAO!! This stuff is AWESOME!! I use two blocks pepperjack instead of one pepperjack n one American. Added hot rotel instead of original. It’s almost spicy enough.

    If it’s gritty you either used preshredded cheese or heated it too quickly. I’ve made this twice and it wasn’t gritty either time. Oh, and both times it was somewhat PINK not white.

    Reply
  7. Rebecca says

    10/15/2017 at 10:57 am

    Did you know all cheese is white when it is done. I love this dip and you must of not made it right. I did not put any of the spices in it. but did and bell peppers and mushrooms. Yum First I saute the bell peppers and mushrooms.

    Reply
  8. Kym says

    10/28/2017 at 8:49 pm

    2 stars
    Not for me. I live in Southeast Texas so salsa and queso are pretty much my life. I use cream cheese and sour cream in a lot of things but IMO they don’t belong in queso. The cream cheese left a gritty feel and queso should be smooth. Great ingredients by themselves just not so much together.

    Reply
  9. Ldh says

    11/26/2017 at 7:55 pm

    Pepper jack and American are cheese food products also.

    Reply
  10. Tammy Dehoedt says

    12/05/2017 at 11:53 pm

    Your right you can’t heat cheese too fast. Cream cheese wouldn’t make it gritty. Mexican melting cheese would be good in this. I laughed when someone stated that white American cheese is like Velveeta . You’ve version would be way too Spicy for me . But it sounds yummy.

    Reply
  11. Charlene Mischke says

    12/21/2017 at 8:05 am

    Very bland-will not make again

    Reply
  12. Deb says

    12/28/2017 at 7:08 am

    Have you ever looked at the ingredients of american cheese, all chemicals just like velveeta. Might just as well let him eat velveeta.

    Reply
  13. Jennifer says

    12/28/2017 at 10:26 pm

    American cheese is processed cheese. Just like velveeta.

    Reply
  14. Carole says

    12/29/2017 at 9:38 am

    Just wondering what state you live in. Each Walmart is different and in my store cream cheese and pimento cheese not near deli but in dairy area.

    Reply
  15. Alfonso Perez says

    01/06/2018 at 9:15 am

    have made this and it was good: as you say most mess up melting the cheese : I am Spanish also:: and most sold here in the states is pasteurized ; the queso is not ; and some times mixed with goats milk : I don’t care for goats milk ; and using pasteurized does not change the flavor : and like I say what you buy in stores is pasteurized . and white cheese and pepper jack give it the heat as most don’t like it to hot: if you do then add more heat : that is a good way to make it:

    Reply
    • Maggie says

      12/30/2018 at 12:53 pm

      What is Mexican melting cheese? Is that what the resterants use for their queso?

      Reply
  16. JM says

    02/03/2018 at 4:26 pm

    Terrible recipe as I was making it for a housewarming party! Well, it warmed up my trash can. Do not make this!

    Reply
  17. Kate Sorensen says

    04/17/2018 at 8:20 am

    Hi Crystal, I am so sorry that you didn’t like it. 🙁

    We’re big fans of cream cheese, so maybe that’s why I like the creaminess of it? Not sure.

    Kate

    Reply
    • Barbara J Johnson says

      01/25/2019 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      We loved this dip. I doubled it and it was a real hit. Got the cheese from the Deli counter. I added breakfast pork sausage. Awesome!

      Reply
  18. Margie Grande says

    05/18/2018 at 11:28 pm

    Please help me!! I made this recipe tonight and it has a delicious flavor; however, the cheeses and/or sauce want to separate. What could I possibly have done wrong while making it???

    Reply
    • Dawn says

      09/29/2018 at 7:05 pm

      what cheeses did you use? cheddars and such tend to separate and be oily

      Reply
      • Kate Sorensen says

        10/29/2018 at 8:09 am

        The cheeses are in the recipe, but off the top of my head, I get pepperjack and American from the butcher counter.

        Kate

        Reply
  19. Donna says

    06/21/2018 at 11:37 am

    I am from Canada isn’t American cheese processed?

    Reply
  20. Donna says

    06/21/2018 at 11:39 am

    Don’t like to use processed cheese. f
    For that reason I would not make it.

    Reply
    • cara says

      01/04/2019 at 2:32 pm

      All cheese is processed in some way. Heating, curdling, aging…are all processes. And all cheeses are man-made..it is not a natural substance.
      https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/07/whats-really-in-american-cheese.html

      Reply
  21. Grammanita says

    07/02/2018 at 11:11 am

    I fixed this for a pre-4th pool party. OMG! You would have thought I had brought everyone $1M tax free dollars! No kidding. I doubled the recipe. I couldn’t figure out what “white American cheese” was, so I used Colby. Because of the way it’s packaged, I used 3 blocks of Colby to 2 blocks of PepperJack. It was a good thing I doubled the recipe, because even with all the ribs, sausage and brisket, THIS was the hit of the party. No more of the yellow stuff for me! Thank you.

    Reply
  22. KT says

    07/15/2018 at 9:44 pm

    There is a ‘real’ cheese that is ‘American.’ Not processed cheese food, like Velveeta. It comes in white or yellow, like many cheeses.

    Reply
    • Lou Boly says

      11/26/2018 at 6:21 pm

      ???????????????? There is no such thing as real cheese that is American! American is processed cheese. Read the ingredient label.

      Reply
  23. Dawn says

    09/29/2018 at 7:03 pm

    4 stars
    I have been making a similar recipe for years. I use white American from the deli (at any grocery store with a deli) pepper jack milk and sour cream. Never tried the cream cheese in it. Add jalapenos or which ever spicy stuff you like. I have done this for years since a “friend” working in an authentic Mexican restaurant told me the main cheese they use is white American. Can also use chipotle and adobe sauce marinated beef as a add in. Always turns out wonderful.

    Reply
    • Kate Sorensen says

      10/29/2018 at 8:10 am

      Yum1 You’re making me want to make this again STAT Dawn! Thanks for stopping by!

      Kate

      Reply
  24. Beverly tennyson says

    12/02/2018 at 12:47 pm

    Very licious…

    Reply
  25. martha elvey says

    12/06/2018 at 6:37 pm

    There are other white cheeses you can substitute for the American if you want. Look at the ingredients in a pre-grated mixed cheese, sometimes marked Mexican cheese in Texas at least.

    Reply
  26. Sandra Story says

    12/14/2018 at 7:57 pm

    Looking forward to making this for many occasions . Thank you.
    Sandra Story

    Reply
  27. Olivia says

    12/19/2018 at 12:02 pm

    I clicked on this recipe because it said that it was made with real cheese. Pepper jack cheese yes, American cheese is not real cheese people! if you actually read the label you will see it is a “cheese like” product. There’s no difference between white American cheese and yellow, it’s just artificial food coloring. Either way it’s still fake cheese and highly processed! No thank you, I will be skipping this recipe.

    Reply
  28. April says

    12/21/2018 at 6:03 am

    I made this exactly as above, flavor was great but it was so grainy…what’s the fix for this???

    Reply
    • Kate Sorensen says

      01/02/2019 at 12:25 pm

      Hi April, I know people have added more cream cheese – we loved as is, but that might help?

      Kate

      Reply
  29. Jennifer Petersen says

    01/08/2019 at 3:45 pm

    Mine seems to be runny… is there a way to thicken it up?

    Reply
  30. PamelaDee says

    01/10/2019 at 3:11 pm

    4 stars
    We loved this recipe. Had no problem with grittiness. Only change was left out chili powder but might try adding it next time. Some of the reviews were bad, but we really liked it.

    Reply
  31. Georganne Millen says

    01/12/2019 at 1:48 pm

    Ok…not what I was hoping for. Not a lot of flavor. Mine was gritty and I cooked it slowly so I don’t know what happened. Wish it had more flavor.

    Reply
  32. Ashley says

    01/28/2019 at 1:19 pm

    This queso is delicious ???? I didn’t measure seasonings but probably used more than recipe, yum yum yum. Was a hit at work.

    Reply
    • Kate Sorensen says

      01/29/2019 at 8:01 am

      Glad you liked it!

      Kate

      Reply
  33. Tim says

    03/24/2019 at 10:38 pm

    You went to an awful lot of trouble to make Vellveta when you could buy it. Americain cheese is real cheese and milk. The only thing that’s not are dollar store slices that won’t say cheese anywhere on the label. Technically that’s vegan cheese(made from vegtable oil). All American cheeses contain emulsifiers, simple salts that help it stay creamy. The ones that say food or product have less fat and moisture but they are all have real cheese as there main ingredient.

    Reply
  34. RHONDA ASPENSON says

    04/11/2019 at 7:00 pm

    2 stars
    I made this and the only change I made is that I used monteray jack cheese (didn’t have any american) I live in Minnesota and we had a snow/ice storm in April so couldn’t go to store. Anyway, mine too ended up “gritty”. Had a good flavor but the couldn’t get over the texture so I added some ingredients and turned it into a CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP and that turned out AMAZING. I guess sometimes mistakes turn into a new GREAT invention.

    Reply
  35. Rebecca says

    07/21/2019 at 7:58 pm

    I don’t understand how so many mess this up or say they had to throw it out.

    This is similar to a dip made first week of culinary classes to learn heat control.

    This is a favorite at our house.

    Grab a block of the good pepper jack and white cheddar from the meat shop.
    Grab a block of neufchâtel, can of rotel with cilantro and lime, and grind a quarter of a guajillo chili up for fresh dark chili powder.

    Keep the heat low, start with the milk (I add a splash of heavy cream to stabilize everything), let it only steam, not boil, it should never boil. Cube the neufchâtel cheese small, stir to melt.
    Then the white cheddar, then the pepper jack, then the rotel and others.

    Might crumble some queso fresco if I’m feeling fancy.

    Then let the flavors come together.

    (It tends to be thin when hot, we let it cool slightly to thicken)

    Reply
  36. M.G. Durst says

    09/08/2019 at 10:36 am

    3 stars
    What is Rotel ? tomatoes ?

    Reply
    • Kate Sorensen says

      09/09/2019 at 7:50 am

      Hi there! Rotel is: https://amzn.to/2ZPPoe7

      Reply
  37. Kelli says

    10/28/2019 at 10:05 am

    I would say just use velveeta yellow or white and rotel. That would save you much time going through all the comments that intensely disliked this recipe. Love my velveeta and rotel. Have not come across and cheese dip “ queso” just as tasty. IMO.

    Reply
  38. Deborah schuster says

    12/12/2020 at 11:03 am

    How long will the Quesno dip last in refrigerator, can it be frozen? If gift giving what do I need to say for instructions?

    Reply
  39. Penny says

    12/26/2020 at 5:10 pm

    It’s white american cheese. You buy it at a deli by the slice or pound.

    Reply
  40. Grace says

    03/16/2021 at 2:24 pm

    Is it keto friendly!

    Reply
  41. Kristy says

    10/17/2022 at 5:44 pm

    This was a horrible recipe!! It’s grainy and not like the photo at all. It must be a google photo. The chili powder also makes it with a red tint instead of white cheese.

    Reply
  42. debra says

    01/30/2023 at 9:22 am

    1 star
    This is the worst queso. Doesn’t look like picture at all. It’s thick, grainy and bland. Will never make again.

    Reply

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