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Are you eating too much-processed food in your diet? I know we certainly are, we try to get away from it but it tends to sneak into our house. And especially when the family is gathered around the Television for a big event, like Super Bowl, it just screams processed food or frozen this, frozen that or packaged this, packaged that.
Every commercial shows us how to make a fast breakfast, a fast lunch, a fast dinner or an easy microwave snack for that big game. I know we are busy people but shouldn’t some of the excitement of the day be in preparing for our party or whipping up some healthier snacks?
I remember when the children were little and we both worked full-time jobs with crazy hours, just like all the other Enforcement Officers still do, work crazy hours while raising a family. We always tried to make the most of the time spent together, you know the “quality time”. We were not all at home at the same time for dinner every night, especially when the children were in High School, their school, extracurricular events, and social life calendars were full and sometimes I or the hubby were on duty.
Getting dinner on the table every night, making sure everyone had a nutritious breakfast and keeping snacks in the house was a challenge in this crazy household. I know you don’t have to have a toddler, two teenagers and two adults in law enforcement in your home for things to get out of hand. You have been there, I know you have or still are.
Anyway some of the memories my, now grown, children share are of special events, special holidays or just a certain dish or snack. They associate that fun memory with having that meal or that snack. Ok, I guess our children survived and actually thrived and we did something correct.
I’m not saying we never threw a frozen pizza in the oven, of course, we did and we still do but sometimes it makes a normal event or a normal game into a very special event or memory to go an extra step and make that dinner or snack from scratch using fresh ingredients.
I have a tendency to always serve some form of Queso for any Football or tailgating party. I could have and have in the past, just heated up that cheese that hangs out on the shelf in your local grocery store and throw a can of tomatoes and green chiles in it and called it, “good” and it is good, but it’s not “special”.

This cheesy concoction is a cool spin from the norm and as an added benefit it’s made with real cheeses. It really doesn’t take that long to make and the prep work is minimal.
It an opportunity to take a step away from prepared foods and prepare your own. Part of the fun and memories of any gathering should not only be eating the snacks but the time in the kitchen together plating up a great smorgasbord.
This is a Rotel queso dip recipe but we are using real cheese and taking a little bit more time.

Cheesy Queso Dip made from Real Cheeses
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 green onions chopped
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 pint half and half
- 1 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1 10 oz can Rotel
- 4 pickled jalapeños diced
- chili powder for garnish
- diced green onions for garnish, optional
- tortilla chips
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Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add green onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cumin, cook for 1 minute stirring constantly
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Slowly pour in half and half, continuing to stir and bring to a simmer. Remove pan from heat and add cream cheese stirring until melted
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Return pan to low heat and add cheeses, stir until completely melted and blended
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Stir in Rotel and jalapeños and cook until heated thoroughly. (Do not boil)
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Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with chili powder and optional green onions.
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Serve in a heated fondue dish with tortilla chips and/or veggies
**Note- can be made ahead of time and transferred to a microwavable safe dish, covered with clear wrap and refrigerated. To reheat microwave 3-4 minutes on high heat, stirring once per minute until hot)
If you enjoyed this Real Cheese Queso:
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I want some of each, please! OK, lots of each. 😉 Yes, queso dip is definitely a requirement for the Super Bowl, and yours looks perfect. Ya got room for one more guest come Feb. 2nd??? 🙂
Your dip looks amazing! It is just perfect for the Super Bowl. We are having a Super Bowl Eats and Treats Linky Party, and I'd love if you would link this, or any other recipe that says "Super Bowl" to you! It can be appetizers, desserts, parties, crafts, sandwiches, anything and as many as you want. We would love to have you! http://bit.ly/Lvc0q2
We always go to a great Super Bowl party and this dip is going with me this year. It sounds awesome.
Here from Miz Helens
Love these dips – going to have to make a new board to pin to 'Game Time'! Can't wait to share them at our party!
OH YUM! Wish I could jump into the screen and have a few (maybe more than a few?) bites of your luscious looking dip. Thanks so much for sharing at Weekend Potluck. Hope you keep warm this weekend.
Sounds like a great dip, pinning this one for sure 🙂
G'day! Always looking for a new dip! YUM!
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers! Joanne
http://whatsonthelist.net
Viewed as part of the Foodie Friends Friday
Hi Evelyn,
Looks like you are all set for the big game, it all looks great! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
I will definitely be trying this recipe this year! Thank you for sharing it.
oh my goodness, that is some cream cheesey goodness my friend. All of these snacks look terrific. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop . Big Hugs
I'm soooo going to try this! Thanks for the recipe Evelyn!
I'm loving the Tex Mex flavours in this fabulous cheese dip! Thanks so much for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
Yay! I'm so glad you brought this yummy dip to Treasure Box Tuesday today!! PINNED! ♥
I love a cheese dip that does not involve Velveeta!! So glad to find this over at Simple Supper Tuesday 🙂
I love Queso Dip but I have never found a recipe that I really liked and instead we just buy a big bunch of it to go from the local Mexican restaurant. However, this sounds really good and I think it might just be "the" Queso recipe for me. I am definitely pinning and making it. Stopping by from Simple Supper Tuesday.
Thanks so much for sharing with Wednesday's Adorned From Above Link Party.
Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above
These sound great! I hopped over from Your Gonna Love It Tuesday
Yum! I love how creamy this looks. Forget manners, I want to dive in!
This sounds great, I love the idea of a creamier dip! Thanks so much for sharing this at the Creativity Unleashed party, I'm pinning this for sure!
Your quarterback dip sounds delicious Evelyn! YUM!
Your dip looks amazing, yum yum we love dips 🙂 thanks for joining us at Creative Mondays, featuring and pinning your post this week 🙂
Congratulations!! Your recipe has been featured at Tasty Tuesdays 47 on my blog, Lori’s Culinary Creations. Hop on over and grab a feature button and link up your latest culinary creations. Congrats again.
Link- http://bit.ly/1doQZDX
Lori
Doesn't this look delicious, I love all the ingredients!!! Will have to make this one for sure!!
This Quarterback Dip would be DANGEROUS around here!!! I wouldn't be able to stop eating it!!!
Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe .I am always looking for recipes to use our pickled jalapenos. Pinning as well.
Awesome dip here; hoping this will help send the Packers all the way this year!
This dip looks creamy and delicious! Perfect for game day or any other party!
Perfect for game day!! 🙂
This dip would be awesome at any party!