Chile con queso (Spanish for "chile with cheese"), usually known simply as queso, is an appetizer or side dish of melted cheese and chile pepper typically served in Tex-Mex restaurants.
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Chile con queso (also spelled chili con queso) is a part of Tex-Mex and Southwestern cuisine, originating in Texas as a version of Queso chihuahua and Queso flameado from Northern Mexico.[1] Chile con queso is predominantly found on the menus in Tex-Mex restaurants across Texas. However, authentic Texan-style chile con queso has been mentioned since at least the 1950s in newspaper articles from states such as California and has appeared on restaurant menus in Washington, DC.[2][3]
Chile con queso is a smooth, creamy sauce, used for dipping, that is made from a blend of melted cheeses (often Velveeta, Monterrey Jack or cream cheese), cream, and chili peppers.[4][5] Many restaurants serve chile con queso with such added ingredients as pico de gallo, black beans, guacamole, and ground beef or pork.
Chili con queso can be eaten with tortillas, tortilla chips, or special queso chips which are thicker than regular tortilla chips. It can also be used as a condiment on fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, migas, quesadillas or any other Tex-Mex dish.
Chile con queso is a warm dish, heated to a desired temperature.
Tex-Mex restaurants usually offer tortilla chips and salsa as appetizers, free of charge. Chile con queso is usually offered for an additional charge. It can be made with various cheeses. Usually it is white or yellow in color.
While chile con queso is called "queso" by Texans, it should not be confused with "cheese dip," which is specifically cheese.
New Mexican chile con queso often includes either green or red chiles.