Chile con Queso

People who otherwise have relegated Velveeta cheese spread to fading childhood memories are usually surprised that the simple addition of chile and tomato can turn it into a wonderful dish. Velveeta is not a historical ingredient in northern New Mexican cooking, of course, but it does date back to the 1920s and was the first commercial cheese product available to Chimayó families. A welcome and versatile change from homemade goat cheese, it was widely embraced for its long shelf life, mild flavor, and superior texture in melting. While the wider availability of cheeses today has eliminated the use of Velveeta in most dishes, the cheese spread is still preferred by many Chimayó cooks for chile con queso. Serve with tostada chips, or use as a sauce for poached chicken breasts.

1 pound Velveeta cheese spread

¼ cup whole milk

½ cup chopped roasted mild to medium New Mexican green chile, preferably fresh or thawed frozen

1 medium tomato, chopped and seeded (about ½ cup)

Makes 3–3½ cups

1. Cut Velveeta into 16 chunks, about 1 ounce each. Place the chunks in the top pan of a double boiler and set that over simmering water in the bottom pan. Pour in the milk. Warm over medium-low heat and stir occasionally. When all of the Velveeta chunks have melted, approximately 10 minutes, stir in the chile and tomatoes. Heat another few minutes to warm the chile and tomatoes through.

2. Pour into a bowl and serve hot, keeping it that way on a warming tray if you have one. For parties it can be served from a slow cooker.

Velveeta may have been around for a good while, but chile con queso really didn’t catch on until the 1960s. Rancho de Chimayó’s recipe is based on one that won a local cooking contest the year the restaurant opened.