Chile Con Queso

[kirra]

Chile ConQueso
Chile-&-Cheese Dip

Seriously, try Velveeta, the old processed-cheese standby, for this delicious dip, and we soon figured out why: when we substituted cheddar for Velveeta, the results were grainy, not smooth.

Ingredients:

1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles (preferably Ro*Tel brand)
2 tbsp. lager-style beer (such as Corona)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, diced
1⁄4 cup grated aged monterey jack cheese
1⁄4 cup sliced scallions
1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1⁄2 lime
Tortilla chips

Preparation:

In a 2-qt. saucepan, stir together diced tomatoes and green chiles, beer, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add Velveeta and whisk until melted. Transfer dip to a serving bowl and top with monterey jack cheese, scallions, cilantro, tomatoes, and jalapeños. Squeeze the juice of lime over the top. Serve with tortilla chips.