If I had a hot tub the first thing I’d fill it with would be rainbow sprinkles so I could reenact all of those Instagrams that people take at the ice cream museum. When that gets sticky and buggy the second thing I’d fill my hot tub with would be queso and then I’d throw a B.Y.O. chips party for all of my friends. Imagine sitting around a bonfire but instead of a fire in the middle it’s a hot tub of queso, that would be the life. Now imagine that the queso is just slightly healthier, almost enough so that you could maybe actually eat a whole hot tub of it by yourself and you don’t actually need to share it with your friends. That’s yogurt queso! It's really inauthentic and I got afraid to post this after reading the truth about queso, so this is really a queso-inspired yogurty cheesy dip (I hate the word "dip" for some reason???) but it's tasty! And a little tangy from the yogurt and I love eating it with the extremely thick and salty and sometimes even chewy potato chips from the deli section of Hugo's, our nearest grocery store. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Yogurt Queso with Cilantro Cream

serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tb unsalted butter

1/2 small purple onion, finely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped, plus more for serving

1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

Kosher salt

1/4 c (32g) all-purpose flour

1 c (240g) whole milk

4 oz jack cheese, shredded

1 c (225g) greek yogurt (whole, 2%, or fat free), divided

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Black pepper

1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped, plus more for serving

Clues

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for another minute. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Add the cheese, stirring until melted, and then add 2/3 cup yogurt, the cayenne, crushed red pepper, a few turns of pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. To make the cilantro cream, mix the cilantro with the remaining 1/3 cup yogurt and a pinch of salt and a few turns of pepper. Serve the queso warm with the cilantro cream dolloped in the center. Top with additional fresh cilantro, chopped bell pepper, black pepper, and a sprinkle of cayenne.

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-yeh!

Photos by Chantell and Brett Quernemoen