A chronicle of my life in recipes. I love to cook, but more importantly I love to eat. The food you cook and eat tells a story of where you were raised and the path you have traveled. This is my story . . .

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Camille's Favorite Queso AKA Creamy Tacos

Growing up in Indiana, we didn't know about queso. A friend of my mom's used to make this and we called it "Creamy Tacos". When the moms wanted to get together and keep us kids happy, we would have creamy taco night. Back then, you would place a layer of tortilla chips on a plate, top with creamy taco mixture and then garnish with your favorite taco toppings: shredded lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, etc. For my family, it has evolved into a dip. Both methods are equally yummy!
Local to Dallas, I have learned another twist on queso: Bob Armstrong dip. Named for a big D local, a few of the tex-mex restaurants around town offer queso this way. Queso with ground beef, tomato, a scoop of guacamole and a scoop of sour cream!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 15 oz. Can Hormel Chili with no beans
1 14.5 oz. Can Stewed Tomatoes, I use Mexican blend
1 Pound Velveta Cheese
Heavy Whipping Cream


PREPARATION:

In a 6 QT. stock pot, brown ground beef on medium high heat, breaking up meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Drain any fat, I usually don't have any because I use 90/10% beef. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in the can of chili until meat is coated. Add tomatoes to the pot and break those up into smaller pieces too, using the spoon. Cube the cheese and add it to the pot, stirring constantly until the cheese is completely melted. Once the cheese is melted, add the cream and serve or cool, refrigerate and store to serve later. I often make a big batch and freeze in smaller batches to re-heat at will.