RECIPE: Felix Queso

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
3 1/4 cup diced grape tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
8 ounces yellow American cheese, shredded
Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

In a medium saucepan, warm the oil over low heat. Add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have almost completely disintegrated, 6 to 8 minutes.

Whisk together the flour and the water to make a paste, then add it to the pan. Stir a few times until the paste is well combined with the vegetables. Stirring constantly, add the cheese, which should combine quickly.

As the cheese melts, the queso will become thick and almost like putty. Don’t be alarmed! This is the proper texture as it is not a creamy queso. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if you like.

Transfer the queso to a serving bowl, a small slow cooker, or a chafing dish over a flame. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Reprinted with permission from “Queso!” by Lisa Fain, copyright © 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.