Looking for a quick appetizer? This Venison Queso Dip only takes 30 minutes to make and is a definite crowd pleaser. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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Everyone loves queso dip. Warm, salty and spicy, it’s a step above nacho cheese dip, and when you add meat to it, it’s hard not to ruin your supper on this filling appetizer. I made this venison queso dip for a dinner party recently, and my guests ate so much of it that they barely had room for dinner afterward.
Use a mini crockpot to keep this venison queso dip hot on low or reheat slowly in the microwave.
Yield: 32 ounces Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
½ to ¾ pound of ground venison Cooking oil ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon ground coriander 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 cup warm milk, plus extra 1 (10-ounce) can Original Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup shredded Oaxaca cheese (or Monterey Jack cheese) Kosher salt to taste Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste Cayenne pepper, to taste Freshly chopped cilantro, to taste Tortilla chips I used freshly ground venison flank for this recipe, which is a tougher cut that is great for grinding. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Directions:
Coat the bottom of a pan with oil and heat over medium-high. Brown ground venison, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and ground coriander. Set the meat aside. Browned ground venison flank steak with seasonings. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Melt butter in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat to medium-low. Slowly whisk in the warm milk — keep stirring until you get a smooth béchamel sauce. Béchamel sauce for venison queso dip. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Turn heat down to low, and stir in the shredded cheddar and Oaxaca cheeses until melted and incorporated. Then stir in the Rotel and cooked ground venison. Take sauce off heat when the queso is heated through. Stir cheeses on low heat until fully melted. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Stir in chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. If the queso is too thick, thin it out with more warm milk. Serve warm with tortilla chips. To reheat, microwave queso dip 1- to 2-minute increments, and stir in between.
