Please note – this recipe was created several years ago – it’s super delicious, but Qdoba has a different queso that they serve nowadays.
How have I gone my whole life not knowing about Qdoba’s Queso Dip?!? A coworker got lunch at Qdoba and the delicious smells were wafting through the office, so I just had to get WHATEVER it was she had…and it was Queso Dip from Qdoba. So I went on over and ordered some, and after having it once I just HAD to try and make it at home. I searched and searched and didn’t find anything that was quite right (no offense, but I don’t think Qdoba is using Philadelphia cooking creme like most of the copy cat recipes called for) and the recipes I came across were for insanely huge quantities. So, I made my own version and was so amazed at how great it came out…I don’t know if you’ll love me or hate me for posting this recipe, because you will want to devour it!
UPDATE: After posting this recipe I received a comment that it turned out grainy for a reader. That made me sad! To think that someone wasn’t enjoying the same creamy, velvety queso as I was was not ok! So I made multiple batches, and did some trouble shooting and think I figured out what went wrong for them.
I made one batch using a small 1 1/2 quart crock pot (like this one) and then I made it stovetop. I found that the one made in the crock pot (in the picture on the left) turned out super creamy and exactly like it had every other time, and followed the instructions exactly like the recipe states. The one that I had made via stovetop, well, that one was completely different. That was just not good. It was super grainy, and the cheese and oil had separated. And it was extremely thick. Yes, it was done cooking in like 5 minutes, but the taste was just not the same. Not something I would ever recommend or make!
Again, another close up showing the difference. So the keys to making delicious queso:
- Use a small crock pot (this one is on sale for $14!)
- Make sure you remove the skin from the veggies after roasting
- If you’re not using a small crock pot, use a regular crock pot and only cook it on the low setting
Ingredients
- 8 oz White American Cheese cubed
- 8 oz White Cheddar cubed
- 8 oz White Monterey Jack Cheese cubed
- 2 Poblano Peppers
- 2 Roma tomatoes Tomatoes
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp each Paprika Cayenne pepper
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450. Start by pitting and cutting peppers and tomatoes into pieces (my tomatoes I cut in 4s and my pepers I cut in 6s) disguard the centers and seeds and place on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle Olive Oil over veggies and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Bake for 15 min until the skins are blackened. Removed from oven and let cool for 5 min. Once cool enough to touch, remove the skins and throw out, and put unpeeled veggies in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and blend.(If you don't have a food processor just chop up the veggies).
- Cube the cheese and put cheese and remaining ingredients and veggies in a small crock pot. Heat on LOW for 4 hours (this recipe does not turn out well on high). Let cool for a few minutes, then serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!!!
- NOTE: Crock pots and their temperatures vary. REMOVE FROM HEAT when the cheese has melted!
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Deedee says
We were on a good path. About an hour in, the cheese was melting and getting creamy. two hours, Looking good. just a bit more to go. Then I went to the store. An hour later…GRAINY! Based on my experience, as others posted, its the heat/temp of the queso. You must remove it from the heat before it gets so hot it curds the cheese.
Deedee says
I accidentally gave it 5 stars. It should be 3 stars, because the flavor was pretty good..
Sweetphi says
Thank you for your feedback, the flavor is super good on this.
Sweetphi says
Thank you for the feedback. I completely agree, when the cheese is melted you should remove it from heat. I’ve added an even clearer note in the recipe to help. It’s so tough because all slow cookers are a little different. So if this is made in a 6qt slow cooker vs. smaller 3 qt one, it probably needs less time.
Brady Hoffman says
Had a decent taste. Followed the recipe to a T and it was really grainy and thick. Even after the low heat. Right amount of each ingredient. Small crock pot and all. Had pretty high expectations. Sadly didn’t meet them.
Sweetphi says
So sorry to hear this! Did you make any modifications?
Val says
Mine was going so well, but the crock pot goofed it. I have a small crockpot, but even the low setting is too hot. One of the cheeses started separating, giving the grainy texture. The flavor is spot on though. The heat is everything in this cheese fusion.
Sweetphi says
Thank you for sharing, so glad you liked the flavor (it’s so good isn’t it?) Sorry your crock pot goofed, I’ve had that happen too!
Maria says
Is it possible to use a pan but in simmer setting and constantly moving? Or will the cheese separate?
Sweetphi says
What a great idea, I’ve never tried this, but I think a double boiler type set up would work great!
bob j says
Hello i am attempting this recipe and about half way done in large crock pot on low. It seems pretty thick when i mix it. Am i supposed to not mix occasionally or will it begin to thin out before it is done?
Rachel Strubhar says
I just made this today, as close as I could to the given recipe, and it was fantastic!! I only have a large crock pot – don’t have a small. Maybe that is why it only took an hour and a half on low instead of 4? But the texture and consistency was creamy delicious perfect!! That is, it was perfect for dipping chips. However, for a queso to add to something like a burrito bowl, this is a bit too cheesy thick, in my opinion. To fix this, I added 1 extra cup of heavy cream, and it was perfect! About exactly like the Qdoba version. And it still works great for chips.
Also, I couldn’t find poblano peppers in the store, so I used 2 Anaheim peppers instead. I roasted the peppers and tomatoes as directed, and it turned out SO delicious!!
Thank you for the recipe!! I can’t stop eating it!
Sweetphi says
So happy to hear how you made this work and the modifications, I love this recipe too!!
Phuong says
I made this tonight, followed the recipe with a small crockpot. Veggies were chopped, cheese were blocks that I cubed. It’s been 5 hrs on low and the dip is too watery and some of the cheese is still not melted. I suspect it’s the American cheese? Any suggestions for American cheese substitutes?
Sweetphi says
Thanks for your comment….5 hours on low and the cheese didn’t melt? Have you ever had that happen before (things not melting/cooking?) It might be that your slow cooker is on the fritz. I’ve never had cheese not melt…I don’t think it’s the American, but if you’d like you could always substitute with a different cheese, I’ve heard Muenster is a good substitute.
Phuong says
Can’t recall if I did block cheese before. I’ve never had an issue with this crockpot before, perhaps it is on the fritz or was too full. I tried again with my 6 quart crockpot and it turned out better! Thanks!
Kathleen Mahoney says
I made this today, and the flavor was outstanding. Absolutely loved it! Those roasted veggies added the most amazing flavor.
The only problem is that I still had unmelted chunks of cheese after heating on low for 4 hours. (My chunks were 1” or smaller.) Any idea what I can do differently?
Warren says
Mine turned out grainy and tasteless. No flavor that comes close to Qdoba. I did exactly what the direction of the recipe and it was unsuccessful. I tossed it. Delete this recipe, please. It didn’t turn creamy as what I expected. It was awful. I wish I could show you the pictures, but I couldn’t with this website.
Sweetphi says
So sorry this was unsuccessful for you! Did you use a small slow cooker on low? I recently made this and it was really good, but I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you!
Kathleen says
Warren, I’m not sure why you had such a different experience. I thought the flavor was *amazing*.
Kerri says
I have made this twice and it’s very good. How do you reheat the next day? I have tried both times and It’s very oily.
Sweetphi says
I’ve not found a good way to reheat it the next day except slowly heating it up via stovetop, but it has to be low and slow.
Felicity LaRue says
I am going to make this today, but I couldn’t find white american cheese. So can i just double the amount of white cheddar or Monterey jack instead? Also, if i don’t have a food processor, how do I mix the cream and peppers? Also, the recipe calls for 1 cup of heavy cream, but then in the directions it says to use a food processor to blend the peppers and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Where does the other 1/2 cup get used? Thank you!
Sweetphi says
Hi Felicity, you could use double the amount of other cheeses. If you don’t have a good processor you could use a blender, or you could chop up the veggies very finely and then hand mix the ingredients in a bowl.
The remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream gets added to the crockpot where it says “add remaining ingredients”
Hope you enjoy this queso as much as we do 🙂
Suri says
CAN I make the queso sauce a day before and heat it up when I need it?
Sweetphi says
You could prep all the ingredients ahead of time, but I wouldn’t suggest actually making it until the day of.
john alexander says
I did this exactly how it says to and in a crock pot. Mine turned out very gritty tasting. And the title says qdoba queso but we found no similarities at all to their queso.
Sweetphi says
I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t turn out for you! This recipe has been made by many others and worked, so I’m not quite sure why it didn’t for you – did you cook it on low?
This recipe was based on their old queso recipe, I know they’ve changed it quite significantly since I posted this, so I’ll go and make a note on the recipe. Again, sorry it didn’t work for you.
Julie says
My grocery did not have poblano peppers but the produce manager said pasilla peppers are very close so I used those. Separating the skins was one of the most tedious and frustrating things I’ve ever done in my kitchen haha, they did not come off easily or in large pieces, it was a mess and took forever. I’d like to make it again but would prefer a canned pepper option to save me some time, have you tried with an already-prepared pepper? Or are poblanos 100 times easier to peel after baking than the pasillas were? I was counting on 20 min prep time and it was actually about an hour, which isn’t quite worth it to me for just queso when I have other prep to do for the whole meal.
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry that you had those issues with the peeling of the peppers, I totally had never heard of pasilla peppers so I looked them up, and yes, I can see why they were so difficult to peel. They are MUCH skinnier and smaller than a poblano, so I can only imagine how much longer they must have taken. Canned peppers are such a great alternative, you could definitely use those next time to save that whole step 🙂
Brittany says
Do you think this recipe would turn out just as well using the stove top method with a roux base??
Sweetphi says
Good question – I’ve never tried it via the stove top method, but I’d love to know how it turns out for you if you try it!
Tira says
I am wondering how well leftovers reheat and how you recommend doing so. Thanks!
Sweetphi says
Hi Tira, If you have leftovers, I would recommend heating them up low and slow – just like the dip. If you do it too fast, it will get a little grainy 🙂
Brittany says
Where does one find white american cheese? I’ve only heard of it in slices or as velveeda. thanks! Gotta make this stat! 🙂
Sweetphi says
I always get white american cheese from the deli counter 🙂
Brittany says
Ooohhh, I never thought of that. Thanks!
Sweetphi says
You’re so welcome 🙂
Katherine says
My crockpot is way too big for this – do you think it would turn out okay to do a double-boiler type setup with a pot of boiling or hot water below a glass bowl with the cheese dip in it?
Sweetphi says
I have done a double batch before and it has turned out great 🙂
Danielle says
I was wondering if this recipe is for Qdoba’s regular queso or their diablo queso? I have been scouring for their hot diablo recipe but can’t find one. Maybe I should just use hotter peppers. I am just not sure.
Sweetphi says
This recipe is for the regular queso, not the diablo queso. I would add both more peppers and more spices, best of luck 🙂
Chris says
Is there a better type of cheese to use? Brand wise? I’ve tried making different types of queso dips in the past and found some brands melt better than others.
Sweetphi says
Hi Chris, thank you for your comment. I have found that a ‘Cracker Barrel’ brand block is the best for the white cheddar and then I’ve had good luck with Kraft brand for the monterey jack, and then for the white american cheese I just get it from the deli 🙂 Hope that helps!
Chris says
Awesome. Thank you 🙂 I tried using cheese I had in the fridge and it didn’t turn out so well. I will try these cheese and see how it works. 🙂
Sweetphi says
Try using those cheeses and let me know how you like it, I think it will become a favorite 🙂
Judi says
What can you do with left overs? Can you reheat this dish?
Sweetphi says
You could spread leftovers on a sandwich (like instead of a mayo) or you could spread it on a quesadilla and add a little fresh cheese and some tomatoes. You could reheat it and use it just with chips, or you could put it on something like nachos, but I have never reheated it because it’s always gone 🙂
Kim says
If You use pre-shredded cheese, it may turn out gritty/grainy. The cheese is coated with something so it doesn’t stick together.
Sweetphi says
You’re absolutely right! I always shred my own cheese, thank you for the very helpful comment!
AngelA says
Mine turned out grainy- what did I do wrong?
Sweetphi says
Oh no! So sorry yours didn’t turn out smooth and creamy. I don’t know why it would be grainy…did you add any flour or thickener? Were your veggies ground up too fine? if the veggies were too finely chopped they might have caused a grainy texture, but I’m totally stumped as to why it would be grainy though! Thanks for commenting with the feedback!
Michelle - Flowerwriter says
Mine turned out gritty as well. I did some internet research and I think the problem comes from heating the cheese too quickly or at too high of a temperature. The recipe says to cook on high for two hours but I think that it should be on low for two hours, or maybe not made in a crockpot. The grit comes from a breakdown of the fat and liquid that have separated and it’s not easy to fix or it all. I found this article (http://www.thekitchn.com/quick-tiphow-to-fix-a-broken-s-46403) they suggest a few ways to try and save the cheese like using an egg yolk and another site recommended flour and butter. Since I’m gluten free I tried a little cream and cornstarch as well. I think these may have worked but my queso was to far separated and I wasn’t able to save it. I had to throw it out. 🙁 .
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for the feedback, I am so disappointed that it turned out gritty for you as well. That is the absolute worst! I am heading to the grocery store after work today to remake this again and see what the problem could be. I used a little crock pot for this recipe, but it still shouldn’t have turned out gritty! I’ll make it via crock pot, small crock pot and via stovetop just to compare and do some trouble shooting. Thank you again though for commenting, I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Sweetphi says
I feel like such a detective! I was really bothered by the feedback that the queso dip came out grainy. I made several batches trying to trouble shoot, and think I figured out exactly what the problem is. When I made it, and as stated in the recipe, I used a small crock pot. Using that method, it came out smooth and silky and exactly like it has every other time I’ve made it. However, when I made it on the stovetop, it came out grainy and not good at all! It tasted totally different, and frankly, it was not appetizing at all lol. So, if making this recipe, I would only suggest doing it either in a small crock pot (and you can either do it on high or low for heating) or in a regular size crock pot at low temperatures, that allows the cheese to melt together beautifully. I’ve updated the post with some pictures and notes to describe my trouble shooting. Again, thank you for the comments 🙂