Salsa De Queso Cheese Sauce

Salsa De Queso Cheese Sauce

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 to 8 servings
Yield: 2 cups

Every culture enjoys a good cheese sauce and most cuisines proudly boast their own version. This salsa de queso recipe is a Latin American treat. Enjoy it as a dip with tortilla chips or over eggs, macaroni, potatoes, or your favorite vegetables. 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

  • 1/4 pound mild cheddar cheese, shredded

  • Jalapeños. fresh or pickled, chopped, for garnish, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Salsa De Queso Cheese Sauce ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat.

    butter in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Whisk in flour, salt, and cayenne pepper, if using.

    Whisk flour, salt and cayenne pepper into the butter

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Then whisk in 2 cups of milk, and turn the heat to medium and stir continuously until the mixture thickens.

    whisk milk into the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add 1/4 pound of shredded cheese a little at a time, stirring continuously until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

    add cheese to the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Garnish with chopped jalapeños, if using. Use as a dip or pour the hot sauce over eggs, macaroni, potatoes, or your favorite vegetables.

    Salsa De Queso Cheese Sauce

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tip

  • If you're using the sauce as a dip, you can give it a nice crust by putting it under a hot broiler for a minute or so. Place it in a heat-resistant serving bowl. It'll need to withstand high temperatures even if just for a short time.

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Recipe Variations

  • Substitute American cheese in place of the cheddar or try a combination of cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. Keep in mind that if you use American or another processed cheese, you'll run the risk of the dip hardening after it's served and it cools down to room temperature. 
  • You can substitute beer for the milk but cut the quantity to about 1/2 a cup of beer. Test the consistency of the cheese and add more beer in increments if necessary. If you decide to use beer, heat it to boiling first, then reduce the heat to low and add the cheese and other ingredients. Take care not to boil the mixture a second time. 
  • Try a variation on the taste of the dip by substituting half a 14 1/2 ounce can of crushed tomatoes for the milk.
  • Use the sauce for nachos. Place chips in the bottom of a baking dish and add the salsa de queso on top. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 F, then pop the dish in the broiler for an additional 2 minutes. You can add hot peppers or green onions to the top after baking, and serve with guacamole or sour cream.
  • This version of salsa de queso is on the mild side. Add diced green chiles if you like a spicier kick, or top the finished dip with jalapenos if you and your guests prefer some significant heat. 
  • Some recipes for salsa de queso add a touch of minced garlic, minced onion, or cilantro. Sauté the onion or garlic in the melted butter before you add the salt and flour, or add the cilantro, or other dried spices of your choosing, to the salt and flour.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
127 Calories
9g Fat
6g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 127
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 276mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 175mg 13%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 101mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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