Are you looking for an easy queso recipe with a little bit of a twist? Then you are in the right place! This simple recipe for poblano queso is made with poblano peppers and a few other ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. All you need to make this poblano queso is poblano peppers, heavy cream, sharp cheddar cheese, butter, flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.
We make this poblano queso with gluten free all purpose flour so it will be entirely gluten free. However, if you do not have a gluten intolerance then you can use regular all purpose flour. A simple 1:1 substitution will work just fine.
What is in poblano queso
What is in poblano queso? Here are all the ingredients you need to make poblano queso.
- Poblano peppers. You can’t have poblano quasi without poblanos! This recipe for poblano queso is made with fresh poblano peppers that are roasted and de-slinned before being added to the cheesy queso dip. If you can’t find poblano peppers then you can try using Anaheim chiles as a substitute.
- Heavy cream. Heavy cream is the main base that is used to make this poblano queso. We use heavy cream rather than another base like milk because the additional fats in the heavy cream help to prevent the poblano queso from curdling.
- Sharp cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese is the main cheese that is used in this recipe for poblano queso. For best results, we recommend buying a block of cheddar cheese and grating the cheese yourself. This is because pre-shredded cheese is generally coated with starches that help prevent the cheese shreds from sticking together. These starches can affect the consistency of your poblano queso.
- Flour. Some flour is added to this poblano queso to thicken it. The starches in the flour also help to prevent the poblano queso from curdling. We use gluten free all purpose flour so that our poblano queso will be gluten free, but you can use regular all purpose flour if you do not have a gluten intolerance.
- Butter. Some butter is used to cook the flour before it is added to the heavy cream base. The butter helps to prevent the flour from burning as it is toasted.
- Salt, pepper, & paprika. Finally, some salt, pepper, and paprika are added to the poblano queso to give it a little extra flavor. We recommend using sweet paprika rather than smoked paprika. If you only have smoked paprika and you want to use that instead, we recommend reducing the quantity by about half. Smoked paprika has a stronger flavor than sweet paprika.
How to make poblano queso
How do you make poblano queso? Here are all the steps you need to take in order to make poblano queso.
- Roast the poblanos. The first step in making poblano queso is roasting the poblano peppers on both sides until the skin peels away from the flesh. The skin of the poblano peppers will char a little when you do this. This is fine because the skin will be removed from the peppers before they are added to the queso.
- De-skin and deseed the poblanos. After you roast the poblanos, you should remove the skin, seeds, and stem from the poblanos. For best results, we recommend making a shallow cut around the perimeter of the stem then pulling the stem out of the pepper. Most of the seeds and their scaffolding should come out along with the stem. If you are having trouble peeling the skin off of the flesh of the poblano, we recommend dragging a fork lightly over the surface of the pepper.
- Chop the poblanos. After you remove the skin, stem, and seeds from the poblanos, it is time to chop the poblanos. We recommend chopping the poblanos into small pieces that are around 1 cm or smaller in size.
- Cook the butter and flour. After you chop the poblanos, it is time to start making the queso. Start off by heating a medium sized pot over medium low to medium heat then adding the butter and flour. Cook the butter and flour for a minute or two to toast the flour.
- Add the heavy cream. After you toast the flour, it is time to incorporate the heavy cream. Pour the heavy cream into the flour a little at a time, stirring continuously, until all of the heavy cream is in the pot. The mixture should be relatively thick. If it is not, you should let the mixture boil for a few minutes until it thickens.
- Add the poblanos and spices. After you incorporate the heavy cream into the flour, it is time to add the poblanos and the spices to the heavy cream mixture. This includes the salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Add the cheese. Finally, remove the heavy cream mixture from the heat and let it cool for a minute or two. After the mixture cools, add the cheese to the heavy cream and mix the cheese continuously until it all melts.
How to store poblano queso
How do you store poblano queso? Poblano queso should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight food storage container. The queso will last about 3 days if stored in an airtight container. We do not recommend freezing poblano queso. Sauces that are made with cheese tend to curdle when they are frozen and thawed.
How to reheat poblano queso
How do you reheat poblano queso? You have a few options to choose from when it comes to reheating poblano queso. Whichever option you choose, you should make sure to heat the queso slowly so that the cheese does not curdle.
- In the microwave. Your first option is to reheat the poblano queso in the microwave. This is a great option if you stored your poblano queso in a microwave safe container and you do not want to dirty and extra pot. Microwave the poblano queso for 15 – 20 seconds at a time until the queso is warm throughout. Each time you stop the queso, you should stir it to ensure that no one area gets too hot and curdles.
- On the stove. If you do not mind dirtying an extra pot, it is probably best to reheat the poblano queso on the stove. When you are reheating the queso, you should use the lowest heat possible and stir the queso as much as possible. Remove the queso from the heat as soon it melts and is warm throughout. Do not let it get too hot.
Poblano queso
This easy, cheesy poblano queso is perfect for times when you are looking for an easy cheese dip with a little bit of a twist. This poblano queso is made with roasted poblano peppers and just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 2 poblano peppers (small to medium sized poblano peppers)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Turn your broiler on high then roast the poblanos under the boiler for 3 – 4 minutes. Flip the poblano peppers then roast them for 3 – 4 minutes on the other side. When the peppers are done, the skin should be charred on both sides. This should take around 5 – 7 minutes in total.
- Remove the skin, stem, and seeds from the poblano peppers. If you are having trouble removing the skin from the poblano peppers, try dragging a fork over the peppers to peel the skin back.
- Chop the poblano peppers into small pieces.
- Heat a medium sized pot over medium low to medium heat then add the butter and flour. Cook the butter and flour for a few minutes until the flour turns a very light golden brown.
- Slowly incorporate the heavy cream into the flour and butter. Stir the mixture continuously until the heavy cream is fully incorporated.
- Add the salt, pepper, paprika, and poblano pepper to the pot.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before adding the cheddar cheese. Stir the poblano queso continuously until the cheese melts.
Notes
Using pre-shredded cheddar cheese. We grate our own cheese when making this recipe for poblano queso. If you use pre-shredded cheese, you should keep in mind that pre-shredded cheese is generally coated with starches to prevent the cheese from sticking together. If you use pre-shredded cheese, you may need to use a little less flour or a little more heavy cream to prevent the poblano queso from getting too thick.
Substitutions for poblano queso
- Gluten free all purpose flour. If you do not have a gluten allergy then you can use regular all purpose flour rather than gluten free all purpose flour to make this poblano queso. You should use the same amount of flour.
- Poblano peppers. If you cannot find poblano peppers then you can try using anaheim chiles to make this poblano queso.
Other recipes you will love
Are you looking for a cheese sauce with a little more of a bite to it? Check out this recipe for hot cheese sauce made with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce!
