gigemJTH12 said:

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okay so need some advice...I got my secret ingredient in the mail and I want to make some queso chicken tonight..

which queso recipe would you use?

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I use Sooner's on page one with some modifications.

8oz block of Monterrey Jack grated in large grate setting
3/4 cup of whole milk..
1 Can rotel

Combine the milk and sodium citrate on low heat. I use an immersion blender to combine. slowly add cheese a small handful at a time while stirring with a whisk and keeping a low simmer going. Once all the cheese is added, I add the rotel.

thanks! would it work without the immersion blender? I dont have one and I am on a tight schedule once I get off work.

gigemJTH12 said:

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thanks! would it work without the immersion blender? I dont have one and I am on a tight schedule once I get off work.

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I assume a whisk would work.

Be sure to add the cheese slowly. I ignored that one time and just dumped it all in. The consistency was terrible.

gigemJTH12 said:

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thanks! would it work without the immersion blender? I dont have one and I am on a tight schedule once I get off work.

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Wisk will definitely work

A wooden spoon works as well... just add the cheese small amounts at a time.

Was it runny at first? Then thicken as it cools?

It should thicken some as it cools and some as you cook off a little bit of the moisture

Well, I followed the instructions from page 1 and it was perfect. I'll never eat any other queso at home. It was so quick and easy. Tasted fantastic.

Just ordered some Sodium Citrate.

So. Excited.

First on the docket?

Monterey Cheese, lightly sauted onion, fresh roasted Hatch Green Chili, a nice dose of cilantro and served with tomato on top,

Can. Not. Wait.

Made a ton of roasted poblano queso like this for Thanksgiving tailgate. It was a HUGE hit. (I also had diced jalapeno & onion as well)

I made it over thanksgiving and had my family freaking out. They loved it. Cant wait to experiment with different cheeses.

anyone have success with a Mac and Cheese recipe?

If so can you please post it? thanks!

gigemJTH12 said:

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anyone have success with a Mac and Cheese recipe?

If so can you please post it? thanks!

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You mean other than when you asked on the previous page and I posted it?

whew. too much work stuff on my mind. Sorry about that.

Thank you

No worries! It's pretty easy once you've got the technique down for the queso. Exact same process, just add macaroni to the party.

Edit: And for the record, I don't use an immersion blender either. Whisk or wooden spoon works just fine.

I've made the queso recipe many times with water and it was amazing. Today instead of water I used some turkey broth that I made from the remains of my smoked Thanksgiving day turkey and it brought it to a whole new level. Highly recommend!

Always made the cheese sauce with water but can absolutely see the value of stock instead - I use stock practically with everything I make that calls for water. As long as you control the salt level it can't help but add flavor right?
Thanks for the heads up WC 06... can't wait to try it!

I'm late in discovering this product but I'm about to order some as, although I've eaten my weight in the typical velveeta queso, I've always been somewhat disgusted by velveeta.

My question is about scalability. In skimming thru this (13 pages on queso, that's awesome, but a lot to read) thread, the go-to recipes I saw were for relatively small serving sizes. Has anyone had success doing a big batch for bigger gatherings?

I've made a full Crock-Pot with 4 x16oz blocks of cheese. Usually I do this in two batches, shredding 2 x16 blocks and scaling all ingredients accordingly.

2 x 16 oz Colby Jack / sharp cheddar
HEB Pico (hot)
1.5 cups water
2.5 - 3 tsp sodium citrate
1# taco meat (lean)
4 oz can diced green chili

Boil water & sodium citrate
Shred Cheese, preferable on large shred setting
Stir in shredded cheese
Wisk until boils
Add taco meat, Pico & chili's

Set aside in crock pot & repeat above
Stir & serve.

DTP02 said:

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I'm late in discovering this product but I'm about to order some as, although I've eaten my weight in the typical velveeta queso, I've always been somewhat disgusted by velveeta.

My question is about scalability. In skimming thru this (13 pages on queso, that's awesome, but a lot to read) thread, the go-to recipes I saw were for relatively small serving sizes. Has anyone had success doing a big batch for bigger gatherings?

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curious about this as well. Most people say it doesnt work.

But honestly, the process is very quick. I can literally do start to finish in 10 minutes. So making 3 or 4 batches and transferring to a warmer for a party wouldnt be that big of a deal.

And if it maintains the quality, its well worth it.

what are the thoughts on using milk rather than water as the thinning agent?

There has been some discussion on this and it's honestly been pretty inconclusive. Milk might make it thicker, but it's come out perfectly for me with water.

Most recipes call for either liquid.

Use beer

Awesome, thanks!

I could see using beer, but for something more like a beer cheese, as in with pretzels, or sausage.

So I just got my first sodium citrate In. Cannot wait to make my first quesos and mac and cheeses.

But other than cheese sauce, what is sodium citrate good for?

made a double batch of the queso from the OP's recipe on the first page. It was WAY too runny. like even at room temperature, it was slightly too thin. not sure what the problem was, other than maybe too much juice from the tomatoes. I'm thinking maybe 3/4 cup for 16 oz, rather than 8oz of cheese is the right amount?

I've made double and triple batches using the base described on the first page and have never had a problem. I think the most important key is adding the cheese in SLOWLY. Patience is important.

CDub06 said:

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I've made double and triple batches using the base described on the first page and have never had a problem. I think the most important key is adding the cheese in SLOWLY. Patience is important.

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I added it in small handfuls slowly whisking in by hand. it wasn't an emulsion problem. it was a too much water problem. it was the consistency of heavy cream at room temperature.

Maybe not enough cheese?

MichaelJ said:

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Maybe not enough cheese?

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well, that would be the other option to increase the cheese/water ratio.

I have always used 8 oz of cheese per 3/4 cup of water and have never had a consistency problem.

Perhaps schmendeler just prefers a thicker quest than everyone else

That's possible. I consider what I get at Pappasito's or el tiempo to be about perfect when piping hot (similar to heavy cream). When cold, those are the consistency of a thick yogurt. The queso I ended up with was the consistency of whole milk when hot and heavy cream when cold.