Today I am combining two things I love: comeback sauce and queso to create Comeback Queso! Mississippi Comeback Sauce is a sauce that is seasoned with chili sauce and a blend of spices for a zesty and slightly spicy sauce.
Inspired by comeback sauce, I created Comeback Queso, a from scratch queso recipe made with the same spices used in comeback sauce. The result is a super flavorful queso that we could not stop eating.
Queso is usually made with Velveeta, but I used a blend of sharp cheddar cheese and monterey jack instead. I wanted to use something that is less processed, and after some research I learned that you can make homemade queso with butter, cornstarch, evaporated milk, and a blend of cheeses!
The trick to making queso is to be patient. You want to cook the queso low and slow and add the cheese little by little. This is the way to make sure your queso is smooth and creamy and not grainy.
Usually queso is made with diced tomatoes and green chilis. In addition to those classic ingredients, I used chili sauce which is a key ingredient in comeback sauce. It helped to add a little extra spice to the queso. If you are unfamiliar with chili sauce, it is usually in the condiment section of the grocery store, near the ketchup. This queso has a mild to medium spice level, but you could easily up the spice level by adding extra cayenne.
You can make this queso in advance, just be sure to heat it up low and slow, and stir often.
Queso is delicious served with tortilla chips, but it can also be added to recipes. I will be sharing a recipe for Baked Chorizo and Queso Chimichangas soon!
If you want to try another recipe inspired by comeback sauce, this Comeback Sauce Corn is a quick and easy side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese
- 4 ounces of Sharp Cheddar Cheese cubed
- 4 ounces of Monterey Jack Cheese cubed
- 1 12 ounce can of Evaporated Milk
- ½ cup Chili Sauce
- ½ cup Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dry Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch, and let cook over the heat for one minute, while whisking. Then whisk in the evaporated milk, and continue to whisk until the milk and cornstarch mixture are well blended. Let the mixture thicken a little.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese. Once the cream cheese has been mixed in, add the cheddar and monterey jack a little handful at a time. Wait for each addition of cheese to melt before you add more.
- Once all of the cheese has been added and is melted, stir in the chili sauce, diced tomatoes, ketchup, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, black pepper, and cayenne.
- If you want to thicken the queso, turn the heat up just a little, and bring it to a slow bubble, while stirring frequently.
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