Chile con queso

Chile con queso

A bowl of chile con queso served with tortilla chips as an appetizer in a Tex-Mex restaurant
Type	Dip
Course	Appetizer or side dish
Main ingredients	Cheese (often Velveeta or other processed cheese, Monterey Jack or cream cheese), cream, chili peppers

Chile con queso (Spanish for "chile with cheese"), sometimes described simply as queso, is an appetizer or side dish of melted cheese and chili pepper typically served in Tex-Mex restaurants as a dip for tortilla chips.

Chile con queso (also spelled chili con queso) is a part of Tex-Mex and Southwestern cuisine, originating in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua as a version of Queso chihuahua and Queso flameado. Chile con queso is predominantly found on the menus of Tex-Mex restaurants in Texas and other U.S. states.

Chile con queso is a smooth, creamy sauce, used for dipping, that is made from a blend of melted cheeses (often Velveeta or another processed cheese, Monterey Jack or cream cheese), cream, and chili peppers; the latter sometimes in the form of the canned tomato and chile pepper mix sold by Ro-Tel. Many restaurants serve chile con queso with such added ingredients as pico de gallo, black beans, guacamole, and ground beef and/or pork.

Chile con queso is a warm dish, heated to a desired temperature. Chile con queso can be eaten with tortillas, tortilla chips, or special queso chips which are thicker than regular tortilla chips. It can also be used as a condiment on fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, migas, quesadillas or any other Tex-Mex dish.

While Tex-Mex restaurants offer chips and salsa free of charge, queso is usually offered for an additional charge. It can be made with various cheeses. Usually it is white or yellow in color.