Homemade Tostitos Queso Dip
and a Margarita, of course.
I don’t know about you, but I could straight up crush an entire jar of Tostitos Queso. You know, that bright orange deliciousness that no one seems to be able to replicate? Until now, that is.
Ok, If I’m being totally honest, it’s not exactly the same. But my husband did say he likes it MORE - which blew my mind a bit - so I’m very excited to share this recipe with you!
Salsa con queso has always made me so happy. On our family camping trips when I was little, my mum would always whip up a big batch of salsa con queso that my siblings and I would devour in seconds. And her recipe was so simple: Velveeta cheese (or “American” cheese) and a jar of salsa. So easy, so tasty.
But that’s not exactly what we have here. This recipe has a few more steps, but overall it’s still pretty darn easy! And the final product? So. freaking. good. I usually keep my dip portions on the smaller side (since it’s normally just me and sometimes the hubs eating them), but I went BIG for this one. Because you can never have too much queso, right?
What’s the secret to a silky smooth cheese dip using REAL cheese?
Real cheese (like cheddar) melts beautifully at first, but it can turn greasy or grainy if you're not careful. This is because cheese is mostly fat, protein, and water, and when heated, the proteins unwind (denature), and the fat and moisture start to separate. If there's too much heat, or nothing to stabilize the proteins (aka keep them intact), the proteins clump, the fat separates, and you end up with that dreaded oily, clumpy mess.
To prevent this, you need 2 things: Starch, and milk proteins.
For the starch, we want cornstarch. Your new anti-clumping bestie. When heated with liquid, cornstarch molecules swell and create a gel. This gel traps the cheese’s fat and protein molecules. So when heated normally, all their parts start to separate. But when heated with added cornstarch, all those parts are stuck in a gel that keeps them in place! Cool hey?
Little cheese dude and his sauna adventure. Cheese dude starts to fall apart when he goes in the sauna the first time. The second time around, he covers himself in cornstarch firs! So when he goes into the sauna, a nice protective gel forms around him to keep him together. Happy cheese dude. Next we need milk proteins (i.e. casein) to help emulsify (or break apart) the fat in the cheese. The proteins bind to fat, which breaks them apart into more tiny fat droplets. The more fat droplets, the smoother the texture. Milk works, but a product with lower moisture content is ideal (less moisture = less dilution = creamier texture). Enter evaporated milk! That’s milk with less water than fresh milk, but still enough to create that creamy texture we all crave. Perfect.
Together, cornstarch and evaporated milk helps real cheese melt smoothly without breaking.
But Tostitos Queso is not just “real” cheese.
There might be some real cheese in there, but there’s no way it’s 100% real cheese. A lot of people like to call this “fake” cheese, since it tastes like cheese but is chemically created or modified to be a certain texture at all times (a product of the ultimate emulsifier: sodium citrate). This is why Tostitos queso is smooth and creamy when both cold and heated up!
SO - since I wanted to recreate this magical dip, of course I had to include some “fake” cheese. I used a combination of Velveeta, Monterey Jack, and sharp orange cheddar for the beautiful orange colour and near perfect texture!
I tried this a few ways, and I found it best at room temperature the first day (so I let it cool to room temp before indulging), and reheated in the oven the second day. Something awesome happened to the flavour and texture after leaving it in the fridge overnight, so I highly recommend you do the same! Just note that when you do this, it will harden slightly. If you don’t plan on serving it hot, I provided some guidelines to bring it back to that smooth creamy texture in the recipe notes!
The Best Pairing for Queso: A Classic Margarita!
I was going to pair this one with wine, but as I was deciding between a rosé from Provence, a beautiful Canadian Sauvignon Blanc, and a Ribera del Duero, I saw my beautiful new margarita glass. Which made me think of margaritas. And when I think of a margarita, I neeed a margarita.
SO here’s my go-to classic marg recipe. I like to skip the agave and add fresh squeeze orange juice to sweeten it up a bit and counter the tart lime, and it is SO GOOD.
Steph’s Classic Margarita Recipe
Tools
Ingredients
Ice (for the shaker)
2 oz Tequila Reposado
1/2 oz Triple Sec (or other orange liqueur)
2 limes, juiced
1/2 an orange, juiced
Pinch of flaky salt
Tajin for the rim
Directions
Pour Tajin onto a small plate. Run a lime slice around the rim of your favourite margarita glass, then dip and twist the rim into the Tajin until it’s well covered.
Add ice, tequila, triple sec, juice from 2 limes and 1/2 an orange, and a pinch of flaky salt to a cocktail shaker.
Shake hard for 20 seconds, then strain into your prepared glass. I prefer my margs without ice (since ice dilutes if you don’t drink them quick enough), but adding ice before straining into the glass is also an option!
Garnish with a lime and/or orange slice if desired, and enjoy!
Homemade Tostitos Queso Dip
Serves: 8-12 (ish)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Tools
Large skillet
Medium saucepan
Silicone whisk or wooden spoon
Ingredients
For the salsa
2 medium tomatoes (on the vine)
1/2 large red bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
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