This Copycat Cafe Rio Queso recipe takes you LESS time to make at home than it does to drive to Cafe Rio and get some! It’s a perfect companion for all your football parties.
Difficulty: Level 1 (easy peasy)
Prep time: Cook time: Total time:
Super Queso for the Super Bowl! Because cheese and football just go together. Don’t they? Cheese and football. Football and cheese. It just works people, it just works. Don’t try to mess with the cheese and football mojo.
That being said. Let me tell you about that little pot of golden deliciousness. I accepted a challenge from a friend who really wanted a copycat Cafe Rio queso recipe. So, I went to Cafe Rio to get some nachos, because duh, nachos. And then I went home, ate all the nachos, and all the queso and then…I made more queso.
This perfectly creamy wonderfully processed cheese dip is full of salsa, jalapeños and 3 kinds of cheese. All. The. CHEESE. Now you just need one thing.
FOOTBALL!!!!
- ⅔ cup half and half
- 4 oz velveeta
- 2 cups cheddar cheese - grated
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup salsa
- ¼ cup chopped jalapeños
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- Tortilla chips for dipping
- Heat the half and half in a medium sauce pan.
- Add the velveeta, cheddar and cream cheese. Mix until all cheese are melted.
- Add in the salsa, jalapeños, cayenne, cumin and chili powder. Mix until combine.
- Serve immediately with your choice of chips
This is my favorite copycat queso. I found that it tastes closer to the Cafe Rio queso when I use pico de gallo instead of salsa. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love it!!!
Oh that is a good suggestion! We’ll have to try that. Thanks!
How much does it yield?
Chili powder–are you talking American chili powder (the non spicy kind you find in the spice aisle that contains cayenne, paprika and other spices too) or an Indian style chili powder that packs a lot of heat?
For this recipe I just used American chili powder. But I’m sure Indian style chili powder would be delicious too!
Fantastic queso! Thangs for sharing.
I know this is a recipe that’s a few years old now but this is really tasty!!! We made it for nacho night and we kept saying how good it was! This recipe is a keeper for sure!
Oh yay! I’m so glad you like it!!
If I wanted to use a crock pot for this recipe, do you think I should start it in a sauce pan and then transfer it too the crock pot to keep it heated? Or do you think I could start it in the crock pot? Wondering what you think would be best! We’re having a super bowl party and I’m thinking this is the recipe I’m wanting to use!
Hey Madison!
I haven’t tried this in the crockpot (that is a brilliant idea), but I think it would work just fine! Just put in all the ingredients together on low, and give it a mix every now and then and it should work. Have a wonderful Super Bowl party!
We absolutely love the recipe especially my daughter… Its been awhile since eating at a Cafe Rio and my daughter loves the queso dip. We don’t live near a Cafe Rio so it’s exciting to find this recipe. It’ll go well with the copycat roast beef and lime rice I make at home.
Just wondering what kind of salsa you use for this recipe?
Hey Ginger! I use whatever I have in my fridge. Usually it’s the Tostitos brand, but anything works!
What brand of salsa do you use?
I use Tostitos – mild 🙂
Do you use fresh jalapeños or from a jar?
Hey Megan! I used jalapeños from a jar, but you can use either.
No imagine if that cheddar is cascade raw or snake Creek medium from Heber Valley Artisan Cheese!
I was actually thinking that just this morning! Or perhaps the fuego rojo or verde cheeses…that would be amazing. Now you’ve got me thinking about all sorts of cheese sauces I can make with Heber Valley Cheeses!
I know the recipe says serve immediately, but do you think this could be made one day and reheated the next?
Hi Stefanie! Yes I think it would be just fine to reheat the next day. It would probably be easiest to heat it in the microwave for short bursts and mixing it occasionally 🙂
These dips are totally my weakness! I could eat it all in one sitting by myself, literally!
Oh my gosh, I think I could too. They are just so addicting and delicious!
Oooo we love queso in our house! Thanks for sharing a new recipe to try.
We sure love it too! I hope you enjoy it.
That looks so yummy! I will definitely be trying out this recipe!
Thank you so much!
I like that you added cayenne and chili powder. That sounds so good!
Thanks Julie!
Soo good! Love cheese dips it can be so addicting!
I know right?! Soooo addicting. But so worth it 😉
I love cheese dips for my chips! I love them especially when I am watching a really good movie with my family at home.
That sounds like the most ideal situation 🙂 Love it!
Ohhh.. I completely understand your addiction to queso, because I myself have it! I could eat Mexican food daily, and not get sick of it. I live in CO now, and I’m surrounded by it, but no places had white queso dip like I had in Ohio, so I had to recreate it, and I was in heaven! 🙂 Will be trying this recipe!
-Cianna (LaMode365)
White queso dip sounds amazing!! I’m going to have to look into that for sure. Always looking for new queso recipes for my queso addiction 🙂
Yum! I love queso and chips!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Me too! You definitely can’t go wrong with queso and chips!