Oooooh, yes I did.
I've said it before... and I'll say it a million more times. Cheese and/or queso are my biggest weak points. I will legit do almost anything for a good cheese or queso. And one of my all time favorite guilty-pleasure quesos? Yep. The one at Chili's.
Now, their queso isn't like a traditional tex-mex queso. It's more of a chili cheese dip actually. Which, obviously I'm totally down with since it's one of my faves. Again... it's cheese. So, yes. Please, get in my mouth hole. The one thing in which you may notice about their queso is that it's clearly made using their house chili, sans beans. After a bit of plugging around a few copycat recipes, I've finally put my more 'healthy' spin on a proper knock-off.
Queso is queso. But there are at least a few good things about this one. First of all, it's low-carb. And second of all? It's made with real cheese. Which is more than I can say for some of the other copycat recipes out there.
To start this queso off I made up a batch of my Low-Carb Chili. The next thing I did was to go back to that Low-Carb Farmer's Market Queso and used the base of that queso recipe to morph the two together. On top of that I piled in a !@#$ ton of seasoning. Why? Because that's just how it's supposed to be!
That's right. You won't find any fake cheese here. No, sir! We're using real deal cheese, milk, cream, and homemade chili. Of course, if you don't want to take the time to make the chili... there are a few canned options out there without beans. So feel free to try that option as a time saver if you please!
The end result of this queso is pure magic! It's just like the one at the restaurant, except no fake BS and it's a good quality bean-less chili, and it tastes even better.
TheSkinnyFork.com This Loaded Wedge Salad is as fully loaded as they come! Topped with a homemade dressing, blue cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and eggs too. Prep Time: 0 Minutes • Cook time: 10 Minutes
Servings: 16 • Serving Size: About 1/2 Cup • Calories: 122 • Fat: 10 g • Saturated Fat: 6 g • Carb: 5 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 4 g • Sugar: 3 g • Sodium: 95 mg
• 1 Tbsp. Light Butter
• 1 Tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 C. Heavy Cream
• 1 C. Milk
• 1 C. Monterey Jack Cheese (Hand Grated)
• 1/2 C. Mild Cheddar Cheese (Hand Grated)
• 2 C. Beanless Chili (I used Low-Carb Chili), Hot/Warmed
• 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
• 2 Tsp. Cumin
• 2 Tsp. Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the 1 Tbsp. butter over a medium heat until melted. Add in the 1 Tbsp. flour and whisk until no lumps remain. Whisk in the 1 C. heavy cream and 1 C. milk and continue to heat until thickened. (Mine took about 5 minutes.) Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the 1 C. jack cheese and 1/2 C. cheddar. Stir constantly until all of the cheese has melted. Stir in the 2 C. Low-Carb Chili. Season with 1 Tbsp. chili powder, 2 Tsp. cumin, 2 Tsp. paprika, 1/2 Tsp. cayenne, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve right away and enjoy!
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: Low Carb, Low Sodium, Sugar Conscious, Kidney Friendly, Pescatarian, Egg Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free, Pork Free, Red Meat Free, Crustacean Free, Celery Free, Mustard Free, Sesame Free, Lupine Free, Mollusk Free, Alcohol Free, No Sugar Added
