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Loaded Queso Dip

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Loaded queso dip is creamy, cheesy and loaded with meat, beans and flavor! It is perfect for tailgating, watching the game at home, or family game night.

Dipping a chip in melted gooey cheese is one of life’s simple pleasures. This fun cheese dip is loaded with all of the good stuff. It will keep your chips dipping and your taste buds dancing. It is perfect for game day, taco Tuesday or parties!

Dipping a chip in melted gooey cheese is one of life’s simple pleasures. This loaded queso dip recipe is packed full of the good stuff.

It will keep your chips dipping and your taste buds dancing. It is perfect for game day, taco Tuesday or parties.

Naming food is such a strange and hard thing to do. It’s something you don’t really think about until you start a food blog, then all of the sudden everything you make needs a title.

I find it much less difficult when sweets are involved. For some reason savory food is harder.

It is probably because I am usually a bit of this, a pinch of that kind of cook. I love using the bits of whatever is in the fridge and turning them into something new and delicious.

So often when my husband asks what is for dinner he is answered with a shrug and “I dunno, dinner.”  That is also why I post so few dinner recipes.

I have to make a really conscious effort to measure everything and add only ingredients you are likely to have. Otherwise I get lost in doing what feels right and while I could come close to remaking it, we will likely never have that exact same dish again.

blue dish filled with cheese dip with tortilla chips in the background.

All of that to say I was stumped naming this cheese dip. I wanted it to be something catchy but my creativity was zapped.

My husband suggested A+ queso because he says it’s one of the best queso dips he’s ever had.

I wanted it to be something that was a bit more football related, but sometimes when you get too creative in naming a dish people don’t know what it is. So I ended up settling on naming it exactly what it is.

It is a yummy QUESO dip that is LOADED with meat, beans and flavor.  I had originally set out to make a queso blanco.

That’s the reason for the ground turkey and great northern beans, to keep everything as white as possible.

The taco seasoning went and ruined that for me. It gave everything an orange cast anyway.

I thought for a minute about how I could mix up the seasonings and keep it white. I actually have a few ideas that would probably be pretty good, but this was so yummy as it was that it isn’t worth changing for appearance sake.

Let me tell you that once you take a bite of that first chip, it is going to be hard to stop.

My husband had just eaten lunch when I came out with this for him to try.  He said he wasn’t hungry but would take an obligatory taste.

A few minutes later we found ourselves scraping up the last bits of cheese in the bottom of the skillet. Luckily I hadn’t put the whole batch in there or we might have accidentally finished it and that’s a lot of cheese for two people!

chips and cheese dip on plate ready to eat.

So wait until your next football viewing party or tailgate to make this so that you have a crowd to share with. Otherwise you might end up accidentally finding the bottom of the pot on your own like us.

Making Queso in a Slow Cooker

I recommend browning the meat and melting the cheese on the stove for a more controlled heat.  However you could move it to a slow cooker and keep it warm that way.

Just keep an eye on it because cheese has a way of scorching in slow cookers if it isn’t stirred frequently.  Luckily this is unlikely to last long, so you won’t have to stand vigil the whole time!

If you are tailgating at the game, I’d still make the dip ahead. Add a little extra milk to it and then bring it with you.

Warm it back up at the game over the side burner on low or over a really low indirect heat. You’ll be dipping your chips in no time!

cast iron skillet filled with chunky queso dip.

More Great Football Snacks

We love football and the associated snacks around here. Whether it’s peach habanero wings or buffalo taquitos, we love wing inspired dishes.

If you’re wanting something cheesy but not in the mood to warm up queso, you should check out my pig skin cheese ball. Or try making a batch of cold and creamy fiesta Ranch dip, it is loaded with flavor and even some fresh veggies.

Did you make this great recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

Dipping a chip in melted gooey cheese is one of life’s simple pleasures. This fun cheese dip is loaded with all of the good stuff. It will keep your chips dipping and your taste buds dancing. It is perfect for game day, taco Tuesday or parties!

Loaded Queso Dip

Carlee
Dipping a chip in melted gooey cheese is one of life’s simple pleasures. This fun cheese dip is loaded with all of the good stuff. It will keep your chips dipping and your taste buds dancing. It is perfect for game day, taco Tuesday or parties!
5 from 6 ratings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizers & Snacks
Cuisine American
Servings 18 Servings
Calories 262 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 15.5 oz can great northern beans drained
  • 10 oz can Rotel or similar
  • 8 ounces pepper jack cheese
  • 8 ounces monterey jack cheese
  • 8 ounces full fat cream cheese
  • ½ cup full fat sour cream
  • Optional: a few tablespoons of milk

Instructions
 

  • Cut your bricks of cheese into small cubes and set aside.
    8 ounces pepper jack cheese, 8 ounces monterey jack cheese
  • In a large saucepan or skillet, brown the ground meat until cooked through. Drain off grease if necessary and then season with taco seasoning according to package directions.
    1 pound ground turkey, 1 package taco seasoning
  • Turn the heat down as low as it will go and stir in the diced tomatoes with green chilies and cream cheese. If you want to speed up the process, add the cream cheese in chunks rather than a brick.
    10 oz can Rotel, 8 ounces full fat cream cheese
  • Once the cream cheese starts to melt and get creamy, stir in the cubes of cheese and sour cream.
    ½ cup full fat sour cream
  • Continue to heat over low heat, stirring frequently until cheese is melted and smooth.
  • Stir in drained beans and heat until warmed through.
    15.5 oz can great northern beans
  • If desired, you can thin the queso with a tablespoon or two of milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
  • Garnish and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Notes

Topping ideas:
diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, sour cream, shredded lettuce, green onions

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 17gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 304mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1g
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Recipe Rating




Jan

Sunday 21st of January 2018

How many cheeses did I spot in that recipe?? I love the from scratch version. I've never made it without melting you know that brick of fake orange blobby stuff, soooo... can't wait! I think I'll surprise my hubby for this years big game and try it! I have a HUGE bag of left over chips from my daughters receiption, but we're tired of the dips I did make! So this will be perfect!

Unknown

Tuesday 8th of August 2017

I totally feel your pain when trying to figure out what to name a recipe for a blog post. Sometimes I come up with a name too off the wall or semi-inappropriate lol. But anything with quest in it, is going to be good! XOXO

Carlee

Wednesday 9th of August 2017

I like getting creative, but I'm with you my creative names are either too crazy and would never get searched for or could be taken the wrong way! ;-) Queso helps solve life's little problems like these though and drowns them in cheese!

Allison

Tuesday 8th of August 2017

YUM! I love queso for game day... and for parties... and for binge-watching shows on Netflix... and for days that end in Y... :p

Carlee

Wednesday 9th of August 2017

Ha! Me too, queso all the days!! Thanks, Allison!

Val

Sunday 6th of August 2017

This sounds amazing! I love queso and now am thinking I'll need to make some for tonight... ;)

Carlee

Monday 7th of August 2017

I love queso too!! I think some tonight sounds like a plan!

Anne

Saturday 5th of August 2017

I think you named this appropriately! It looks delicious.

Carlee

Monday 7th of August 2017

Thank you! I was really struggling!