Texas Kitchen: Beef queso dip, a game-day favorite

There might not be a dish more quintessentially Texan than queso dip—especially when game day rolls around. Spice up your next party with this recipe from Couple in the Kitchen bloggers Gavin Booth and Karen Reinsberg, and add your favorite hot sauce and all the fixings.

The Austin-based couple, entrepreneurs (Gavin owns a kombucha company), and home cooks were inspired to start their blog during a wine-country trip to Sonoma, California, and they’ve since built a repertoire of delicious recipes.

Their blog is also a huge resource for date-night ideas and local happenings in Austin. The couple share their beef queso dip recipe here. Their hot tip? If you’re serving it during game day, keep it in a slow cooker set to warm so you can enjoy it as long as your team is playing.

Ingredients

• 1 New York strip steak (or an inexpensive cut of chicken or chorizo)
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 5-ounce can green chiles, drained
• 1 pound deli-quality white American cheese, cubed
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 cup deli-quality cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1–2 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Heavy cream to thin out the dip, if needed

Directions

Sear steak to medium rare, around 145 degrees. Let steak rest for 10 minutes, and then cut meat into cubes. In a stockpot on medium heat, melt butter, then add garlic. Cook garlic for 1 minute, then add tomatoes and green chiles. Cook for 2 minutes. When tomatoes and chiles have warmed, add American cheese and half-and-half. Incorporate cheese slowly to allow it to melt without clumping. Add cheddar, lemon juice, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Add cream to thin out the dip, if necessary. When cheese is smooth, add your protein and serve, or keep warm in a slow cooker.

Tip: When serving, top with guacamole, cilantro, and more hot sauce, if desired.