Qdoba 3 Cheese Queso Copycat

The Superbowl is coming up (in two weeks, I know, but it's always time for queso) and the Packers aren’t in it (boo!)  I’m not a huge sports fan, but I come from a long line of die-hard Packer fans, so sporting a cheesehead just comes naturally to me.

Though the Packers will not be playing, I figure I can still give them a little shout out with this amazing (Cheesy) appetizer.

As with any copycat recipe, this is not a perfect duplicate of my beloved Qdoba Queso, but it is a pretty good approximation!  With the addition of cayenne at the end, this actually ends up being a spicier version of the original, which can be good or bad depending on your crowd (good in our case).  There is also a slight graininess to the texture that isn’t perfect, but not enough to dissuade anyone from consuming boatloads of queso, looking longingly at the empty ramekins wondering, “Why is the queso gone?”

 Qdoba 3 Cheese Queso Copycat

Adapted from The Cooking Photographer

2 poblano peppers

1 (10 oz) container Philadelphia Cooking Crème, Original flavor

1 (8 oz) package Mexican Shredded Cheese

3 Roma tomatoes, finely diced, seeds discarded

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp paprika

¼ cup water

Cayenne pepper to taste

Place the peppers (whole) on a baking sheet and place under the broiler.  Broil, turning occasionally, until the peppers are blackened on all sides.  Move the baking sheet to a wire rack.  Use aluminum foil to form a tent around the peppers.  Cool for 30 minutes.

Using your fingers, peel the blackened skin off of the peppers.  Carefully twist the stems to remove the stems and seeds.  Scoop out any of the remaining seeds.  Discard the seeds, stems, and peels.  Dice the remaining parts of the peppers finely.

Place the chopped peppers and tomatoes in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.  Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, cooking crème, and Mexican cheese.  Stir over medium heat until the cheeses are melted.

Add the water and cayenne pepper and stir for an additional minute.  Serve in ramekins with tortilla chips.