Copycat Qdoba Queso

In my house, we love queso and without a doubt, as far as fast food restaurants go, Qdoba does it the best.

I’ve made many versions of queso and I love them all.  However, Spud, my biggest critic (I say this in a kind way, he’s not mean, but he’ll tell it like it is) still says Qdoba does it better and it's typically a matter of consistency.

Even when starting with a roux, queso using cheeses like cheddar just don’t have that silky consistency the restaurants achieve.  The difference? Processed cheese.

For today’s recipe, I decided to go ahead and use *some* processed cheese to see how it turned out.  And if I’m perfectly honest, the flavors were there, the consistency was there and it held up to being in the crockpot for a longer amount of time than the others do.

So, if you’re looking for the next queso to take to the tailgate - this is the one.

Copycat Qdoba Queso

Adapted from Eating on a Dime

1 cup milk (2% or whole)

6 ounces American cheese (yellow), torn into small pieces

10 ounces Swiss American Cheese (white), torn into small pieces

8 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded

8 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (about half a can)

2 ounces diced green chilis (about half a can)

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Heat the milk to steaming (do not boil) in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in all the cheese and mix until melted.

Stir in the tomatoes, chilis, and spices.  Heat through and serve with chips.