Description
This creamy, velvety Mexican cheese sauce recipe elevates standard family dinners with a tangy, slightly smoky swirl. It’s surprisingly easy to achieve a lump-free base from scratch and adds a vibrant swirl for a showstopper dip.
Ingredients
Scale
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 30 g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) whole milk (room temperature)
- 280 g (10 ounces) white American cheese, cubed
- 170 g (6 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) garlic powder
- 2.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) onion powder
- 3 g (1/2 teaspoon) fine sea salt
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
- 2 medium chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) adobo sauce
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fresh lime juice
- 2.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) granulated sugar
- 1.25 g (1/4 teaspoon) ground cumin
- 1.25 g (1/4 teaspoon) smoked paprika
- 5 g (1 tablespoon) fresh cilantro, chopped
- Pinch of lime zest
Instructions
- Prepare Smoky Swirl: Cook chopped shallot in olive oil over medium heat until softened (3-4 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer to a blender or food processor with chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, sugar, cumin, and smoked paprika. Blend until completely smooth, adding warm water if necessary to achieve a pourable consistency. Set aside.
- Make Roux Base: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes until smooth and nutty smelling; avoid browning the mixture.
- Thicken Sauce: Gradually whisk in the room temperature whole milk, a little at a time, ensuring a smooth mixture before adding more. Continue whisking constantly for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Melt Cheeses: Reduce heat to low. Add cubed American cheese and shredded Monterey Jack cheese in handfuls, stirring constantly until fully melted and smooth. Do not let the cheese sauce boil, as this can cause separation; remove from heat if necessary to stabilize the texture.
- Season and Finish: Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt. Adjust seasoning to taste. Continue stirring for a minute or two over low heat until the sauce is glossy and perfectly smooth.
- Serve with Swirl: Pour the warm cheese sauce into a bowl. Drizzle generous ribbons of the smoky swirl over the surface. Use a skewer or spoon handle to lightly pull the darker sauce through the lighter cheese for patterns. Garnish immediately with fresh cilantro and lime zest.
Notes
To achieve a smooth texture, ensure the heat is low when adding the cheese to avoid graininess. If the sauce becomes lumpy, blend it with an immersion blender or standard blender. This dip is best served immediately for optimal texture; to store and reheat, gently warm over low heat with a splash of milk to restore consistency. Do not freeze the sauce, as it will separate upon thawing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 337 calories
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: Mexican, Queso, Cheese Dip, Chipotle, Appetizer, Party Dip, Nacho Topping, Weeknight Meal, American Cheese, Monterey Jack