Making Queso in the Crockpot

This is my favorite party tool because it looks sleek on the buffet and works non-stop to keep foods hots. I'm not sure what I would do without my Cuisinart Crockpot. Although my last post was Dip overload, I failed to include one of my favorite dips of all time: Queso! It's a staple at our football parties and this recipe is extra special because it uses ground turkey and just the right amount of heat.

The first thing to do is brown a pound of turkey with one chopped onion.

You could use any type of ground meat in this recipe, simply brown over medium-high heat until there are no signs of pink meat.

Yes, I use velveeta. It's a log of processed cheese and melts beautifully in queso and taste great in this recipe. Don't be afraid, it's how most Texans make queso - or at least my circle of Texans.

After the meat is browned with the onion, dump it into your crockpot and add a small can of hatch green chiles.

Next, add one can of rotel. I like to buy the "hot" rotel.

Cube the cheese log.

Stir the cubes into the crockpot.

With the crockpot on high, the cheese will melt in about 15 minutes. Every once in a while stir the mixture and the cheese will melt smooth. This is one of those really easy recipes, but I always get asked what I put in my queso because the green chiles and ground meat add a slow heat and hearty bite. Now you know. If your guests can take the heat, dice up a jalapeno also.  Did you also know that this freezes really well? I put leftover queso in a freezer safe zip top bag and freeze flat.