Cottage Cheese Queso

Cottage cheese is having a moment on social media, and we are here for it. We thought we’d seen it all with cottage cheese ice cream, but this cottage cheese queso dip may just take the cake. It’s the next recipe on our long list of recipes to try from the cottage cheese trend. And if it’s anything like cottage cheese pancakes, it’s guaranteed to be a winner.

Believe it or not, you can make a pretty stellar cheese queso dip with nothing more than a tub of cottage cheese, some shredded cheese, your favorite taco seasoning, and a splash of milk. Serve it naked or garnish it with your favorite toppings.

Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Queso

• Cottage cheese: It’s tempting to go for the low-fat option, but full-fat cottage cheese is best for this recipe. It will yield the creamiest queso and, as far as nutrition goes, it’s a powerhouse.
• Pepper jack cheese: Pepper jack cheese adds a little spice to the queso. Always grate your cheese fresh from the block, as bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose. This food-safe anticaking agent affects the flavor and meltability of the cheese.
• Milk: Whole milk helps thin the cheeses into a dippable queso. While we suggest whole milk, feel free to use skim or 2% milk.
• Taco seasoning: Buy your favorite taco seasoning from the store, or make a homemade taco seasoning so you can control the salt, heat and flavors.
• Garnishes: Add optional garnishes to the cottage cheese queso just before serving it. Finely diced tomatoes, jalapenos, red onion and cilantro add nice pops of color, flavor and texture.
• Tortilla chips: After all that hard work, make sure you’re buying quality tortilla chips for dipping. The best tortilla chips for dipping aren’t necessarily the ones you might default to, so check out our Test Kitchen’s recommendations.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Queso

Step 1: Puree the cottage cheese

Add the cottage cheese to a high-powered blender or food processor.

Puree the cottage cheese until it’s completely smooth. This may take several minutes.

Step 2: Melt everything together

In a medium saucepan, combine the cottage cheese puree with the shredded pepper jack cheese, whole milk and taco seasoning.

Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until it’s smooth, creamy and heated through.

Editor’s Tip: It’s tempting to bump up the heat, but keep it on low, or the cheese and milk will curdle. If you prefer a thinner queso, add more milk until the desired consistency is reached.

Step 3: Garnish the queso

Transfer the cottage cheese queso to a serving bowl and garnish it as desired. Serve the queso alongside your favorite tortilla chips (or make homemade tortilla chips) for dipping.

Recipe Variations

• Go crazy with toppings: There are tons of other topping options besides our suggested ones. Finish the cottage cheese queso with sliced scallions, pico de gallo, crushed red pepper, additional cheese, fried shallots, chili oil, diced bell peppers, black beans or paprika.
• Make it spicy: Love a little kick? Blend in jalapenos (or spicier peppers like Scotch bonnets), diced green chiles or chili powder. You could also use a spicy taco seasoning.
• Try another cheese: Instead of shredded pepper jack, feel free to try other melting cheeses like cheddar, Colby Jack, Gouda or talleggio.

How to Store Cottage Cheese Queso

Allow leftover cottage cheese queso to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. I recommend removing any garnishes as they may not keep very well. The queso can be kept in the fridge for up to four days.

How do you reheat cottage cheese queso?

To reheat cottage cheese queso, transfer it to a saucepan and warm it over low heat. Add a splash of milk to thin it if desired. You could also microwave it in 30-second increments, stirring between each to prevent curdling or burning.

Cottage Cheese Queso Tips

How do you serve cottage cheese queso?

Serve cottage cheese queso warm with tortilla chips. It’s great with other dippers, too, like Doritos, crudites, pita chips and pretzels. You could also drizzle it over nachos, tacos, burritos or quesadillas. If you’re serving a bowl of the queso, check it every so often to make sure it’s still warm. If it’s a little tepid, heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments. Oh, and never leave cottage cheese queso out of the fridge for more than two hours. If it’s left out for this long, it should be discarded.

Can you make cottage cheese queso in the microwave?

Yes, you can make cottage cheese queso in the microwave. To do so, combine everything into a microwave-safe bowl and warm the mixture at 50% power in 30-second increments until the cheese is melted and the queso is completely smooth.

Do not rush the melting process; warming it too quickly or using too high a heat can cause the proteins in cheese and dairy to separate and curdle. Low and slow is the secret to smooth and creamy cottage cheese queso dip.

How do you get the smoothest texture when making cottage cheese queso?

To achieve the smoothest texture when making cottage cheese queso, blend it for several minutes until there are no curds left. It’s best to use a food processor, immersion blender or regular blender for this. If you try to do it by hand, the cottage cheese will stay thick and chunky.