Ingredients (~10-12 servings)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup poblano pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup serrano pepper, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
- 1 1/4 cups white cheddar, coarsely grated
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
Sauté the Vegetables Until Soft
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onion, poblano, and serrano peppers; sauté until soft, ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a large wooden spoon.
The peppers should lose their bright color and the onions will start to look translucent.
Add Garlic and Tomatoes
Add the minced garlic and chopped tomatoes to the pot.
Cook until fragrant, ~1 minute, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
You’ll smell the garlic right away when it’s ready.
Add Milk, Cream, and Chipotle Powder
Pour in the whole milk and heavy cream while whisking to prevent scorching.
Sprinkle in the chipotle chili powder and whisk to combine.
The mixture will look pale orange from the chipotle powder.
Make Cornstarch Slurry and Thicken the Base
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3 Tbsp of water until smooth – use a fork to break up any lumps.
Gradually add this slurry to the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly.
The cornstarch makes the final sauce glossy instead of greasy-looking.
Simmer Until Thickened
Bring the sauce to a slight boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent burning on the bottom.
Once it starts bubbling, reduce heat and let it simmer until it starts to thicken, ~12-15 minutes.
Keep whisking every minute or so – the sauce will thicken more once you add the cheese.
Melt in the Cheese
Remove the Dutch oven from the heat completely.
Add the grated Monterey Jack and white cheddar in 3-4 batches, stirring each batch until melted before adding the next.
The residual heat will melt the cheese without making it stringy or grainy.
Season and Serve
Taste and add the salt gradually – start with 2 tsp and add more if needed.
Adjust the chipotle powder if you want more heat.
Serve immediately while warm, or keep it warm on the lowest stove setting, stirring occasionally.
If it gets too thick, whisk in a splash of milk to loosen it up.
Copycat Chipotle Queso Blanco
Ingredients
Ingredients (~10-12 servings)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup poblano pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup serrano pepper, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
- 1 1/4 cups white cheddar, coarsely grated
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Sauté onion, poblano, and serrano peppers until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and tomatoes, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in milk and cream, whisk in chipotle powder.
- Mix cornstarch with water, whisk into milk mixture.
- Bring to slight boil, then simmer 12-15 minutes, whisking constantly until thickened.
- Remove from heat, add cheese in batches, stirring until melted.
- Season with salt, adjust to taste.
- Serve warm, whisking in milk if sauce becomes too thick.