A wondrously cheesy dip made with peppers, sweet onion, two types of cheeses, spicy jalapeno and zesty lime.

For the record…  I had all but good intentions to make this a skinny queso dip. Sorry, guys. Didn’t happen. My family loves cheese way too much. Who can blame them? Instead we turned this into a spicy dip worthy of ravenous Sunday football fans.

It’s a “one skillet” kind of dip that makes for easy peasy cooking and clean up. Any recipe that has minimal dish washing involved, has my vote.

I made this dip for an afternoon of Sunday football, and serendipitously my mother-in-law had a MINI CROCK POT (pictured above; how friggin’ cute is that?!) that kept the queso nice and hot. Never mind the industrial extension cord that we draped across the ottoman to power the little sucker. Notice how I kept that out of the photo. Haha!

Served with a side of blue corn tortilla chips, this dip was a crowd-pleaser. I’m definitely going to bring this back for a Super Bowl party … or Stanley Cup Final … or maybe just because this girl is in the mood for a pot full of ooohy, gooey cheese.

Spicy Queso Dip

Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, minced
• 4 garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 14.5 ounces (1 can) of diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chilies, drained
• 3 scallions, chopped
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup colby jack cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 of the milk with the cornstarch. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat – add the oil, onions, garlic, green pepper and jalapeno.  Saute until soft, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the chicken broth and 3/4 cups of milk (the milk without the cornstarch) to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the skillet. Reduce heat to low. Stir and simmer until it bubbles.
5. Add the scallions, diced tomatoes, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir and season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove skillet from heat. Add the two cheeses, stirring well. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to your liking. If you’d like the queso spicier, add more chili powder and/or red pepper flakes.
7. Serve hot with tortilla chips.