This Queso recipe is inspired by my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant in Dallas, Matt’s Rancho Martinez, which was a weekly family affair when I was a child. Every meal started with chips, salsa and queso.
More importantly, we always "made it a Bob Armstrong" by adding ground beef with taco seasoning, guacamole, and sour cream into the queso.
The Bob Armstrong Dip is named after former Texas land commissioner Bob Armstrong, who one day asked for “something different” at his favorite AUSTIN Tex-Mex joint, the original Matt's El Rancho. They added the requisite ingredients. A huge hit - it's become a staple at Tex-Mex restaurants ever since.
This is how I make it!
Ingredients
2 lbs Velveeta Cheese (it comes in a big block) – Yes, it is processed. No, it is not “gourmet,” but that is how it should be made!
1 bag of shredded Mexican Four Cheese
A quick pour of cream or milk
2 cans of Rotel with green chilies, drained
Serrano peppers – seeded and minced (add more for more heat)
½ pound of ground beef
½ pound of pork chorizo (or however much you want to use, traditional Bob Armstrong doesn’t have chorizo, but this adds more flavor!)
4 garlics minced
1 cup of sour cream (or more)
1 cup of guacamole (or more) – store bought, or fresh.
Spices: 1 spoonful of cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt or just some good ol’ taco seasoning
Serve With: tortilla chips or warm, fresh flour tortillas (can roll the queso up inside tortillas… wow!)
Recipe
1. Combine minced garlic, serrano peppers, ground beef, chorizo and spices in a bowl
2. Brown meat mixture (from step 1) on medium/high heat with olive oil or butter in a skillet
3. Cube the Velveeta into smaller pieces
4. Place all cheeses and a touch of milk into a crock pot on high. Cover and let it start to melt
5. Once the meat is browned (about 10 minutes), add to the crock pot along with the drained Rotel (very important to drain so it doesn’t add liquid to Queso and mess up consistency).
6. Very much recommended: add more cayenne or chili powder to make it spicier or anything else that is spicy – more diced peppers, hot salsa, etc.
7. Let is simmer – it took about an hour for the cheese to melt and consume other ingredients to make a good dip
8. Either store in fridge to be reheated and served. Or serve now.
Upon Serving: Add Guacamole and Sour Cream to make this an official Bob Armstrong dip!
And Bueno Provecho!
