White Spinach Queso

White Spinach Queso ~ warm, gooey cheese dip with fresh spinach and loaded with plenty of spicy flavor. An easy, crowd-pleasing party snack that cooks on the stove in minutes.

Like most families we have a variety of appetites, but there’s one thing we all agree on: bring on all the warm, gooey cheese dips. Trust me: you don’t want to get your fingers too close to this crowd when there’s Queso involved.

It’s similar to the dip from Chili’s but better. Way better . . .and for a fraction of the cost.

White Spinach Queso is a blend two of my favorite dips: Spinach and Queso. It’s a great recipe for entertaining for a few reasons:

• You can make it in a snap.
• It’s devoured almost as fast.
• I almost always have the ingredients on hand.

It’s kind of fun to watch that brick of cheese and just a few other ingredients turn into a silky, cheesy hot tub. .

what’s in spinach queso?

• butter
• jalapeno
• fresh spinach
• tomato
• all purpose flour
• milk (2% used)
• cream cheese
• pepper jack cheese freshly grated
• salt to taste

how to make spinach queso:

I recommend freshly shredding the pepper jack cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains ingredients that keep it from clumping in the bag and your dip may not be as creamy. 

It looks like a lot of spinach, but it’ll wilt down considerably when you cook it.

Making the dip:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat then add the seeded, minced jalapeno and chopped spinach. Give it a light sprinkle of salt then cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.

Reduce the heat to low then sprinkle the flour over the top, toss to coat well and cook 1 minute stirring frequently.  Pour in the milk whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth.

Remove from the heat and fold in the cream cheese. Once the sauce is smooth, add the pepper jack cheese stirring until it’s silky then add the tomatoes and season with salt to taste.

Serve right away with your favorite tortilla chips.

NOTE: spice levels vary in fresh jalapenos. If you want your queso spicier, stir in a small pinch of ground cayenne pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon).

Help! My queso is too thick!

Queso thickens quickly and easily – especially once it starts to cool. If this happens don’t panic! Just add a splash of milk (1-2 tablespoons at most) to the queso in the saucepan over the lowest heat. Slowly stir to warm the dip and blend the milk until it’s your preferred consistency.

Serving suggestions:

The best scooping vessel for this velvety, gooey cheesy dip is as close as your favorite tortilla chips. We also love these easy soft Pretzel Bites made in minutes from refrigerated biscuit dough.

other cheese dips:

Cowboy Queso – warm, spicy dip with 2 kinds of cheese, chorizo sausage, black beans, corn, tomatoes and fresh cilantro with a squeeze of lime juice. Easy to make and the ultimate appetizer. Serve with tortilla chips

Chorizo Queso – warm cheese dip with chorizo sausage, tomatoes, fresh cilantro and lime juice. Serve with warm tortilla chips.

Beer Cheese Dip – a favorite pub-style appetizer hot and ready in 10 minutes at home. Creamy 3-cheese –  serve with warm salty pretzels, tortilla chips or vegetables.

Mexicali Dip – there’s so much to love about this warm Mexican dip starting with just 4 ingredients and a few minutes in the microwave! It may be the easiest appetizer on the blog. Whip up a batch and start dipping.

Enjoy!

If you tried this White Spinach Queso recipe or any other on the blog then I hope you’ll leave a comment and some stars!

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