It was a holidaze weekend, we had (a very few, carefully chosen) friends coming over, and my husband came across a Queso recipe that was sorely tempting him.
Thing is, it called for Velveeta and, at least at my main market, while I know that they carry it, I can never seem to find which aisle they stock it in.
Good thing, then, that making your own Velveeta – and better! – is the work of a few minutes and then a rest in the fridge.
This is better because, while it melts creamy smooth like Velveeta, it really only has three ingredients – cheese, unflavored gelatin, powdered milk – plus a bit of hot water, so, while it will not sit in your fridge for a couple of months without going moldy; it will give you a superior, creamily smooth melted cheese for most any time you need it.
Making your own means you also get to choose your (cheese) type and flavor. For this batch, I chose Colbyjack and Pepperjack cheeses, though plain old Cheddar also works a treat. I really wouldn’t say “no” to Swiss, either.
INGREDIENTS
•8 oz grated cheese
•1/2 cup almost boiling water
•3 tbsp nonfat dry milk
•1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
•1/2 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Sauce – or your fave hot sauce, to taste*
*Optional
Line a small loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving the wrap long and overhanging the sides of the pan.
Add the unflavored gelatin and dried milk to a blender jar, then drizzle in the hot water.
Blend until the gelatin has been dissolved, then add the shredded cheese.
Add the shredded cheese and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as needed.
Transfer to the plastic wrapped loaf pan, fold the plastic wrap up and over to cover, then stash in the fridge overnight before unmolding and having your way with it.
Note: think you’ll be needing more than just this bit of tasty and supremely well melting cheese? By all means, make more, but, keep to these measurements and blend your cheeez in batches. Add them all to whichever container you plan on chilling them in at the end, but don’t try to double or triple this all at once in the blender.
Unless, of course, you were looking to buy a new blender in the near future?
And so, that is how we came to enjoy our queso before dinner.
Details on the Sausage and Beer Queso tomorrow, I think.