Not long ago, we developed a recipe for a smoked prime rib sandwich topped with a green chile queso. The recipe is modeled after a sandwich I had at Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina. They sell a Beef N’ Cheddar special inspired by Arby’s signature sandwich, but the Lewis version features smoked prime rib smothered with Hatch green chile queso and horseradish sauce on a buttered, toasted bun.
Recipe Spotlight
In a Queso Emergency, Make This 2-Minute Green Chile Queso
You need only four ingredients to make this ultracreamy, superdelicious cheese dip.
By Published June 21, 2022.
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10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.
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I will say, as much as I love the smoked prime rib (which is a lot), I love the green chile queso recipe that was born out of this sandwich just as much.
The queso is so simple and takes only about 2 minutes. And from that time, you get an ooey, gooey delicious dip that tastes ultracheesy and packs a pinch of heat from the chiles.
Simply combine your ingredients in a heatproof bowl and then stir together after microwaving.
To make it, use a combination of American cheese and pepper Jack cheese. Both are great melters and the American cheese has stabilizers that help keep the queso from separating in the microwave. You add milk and jarred green salsa (often labeled salsa verde), which typically includes spicy green chiles, tangy tomatillos, garlic, and/or spices. Then microwave for a couple minutes. With this step, the cheese steams rather than scorches, so you get a magma-like dip with some impressive cheese-pull-ability. Just be sure to periodically stop and whisk while microwaving to even out any hot spots.
Green Chile Queso
Serves 2
This recipe was designed to be enough to top two sandwiches. It can easily be scaled up (and should be) if you’re trying to serve more than two people.
- 1 ounce American cheese, shredded (¼ cup)
- 1 ounce pepper Jack cheese, shredded (¼ cup)
- 2 tablespoons jarred salsa verde
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Microwave until cheeses begin to melt around edges of bowl, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave until cheeses are completely melted and just beginning to bubble around edges of bowl, 1 to 2 minutes longer, whisking halfway through microwaving.
After that, all you have to do is decide whether to break out the chips for dipping or pour it on a smoked prime rib sandwich. Better yet, try both.