Queso Recipe without Velveeta or Processed Cheese - Small Batch Queso (2024)

Small batch queso for two people is the perfect way to make a reasonable amount of queso. Plus, it's queso without velveeta or processed American cheese. Everything comes together on the stove in just 20 minutes!

If you want to make a regular-sized recipe for queso and eat all 6-8 servings by yourself, I strongly encourage this. I highly recommend doing this at least once a year while watching the Super Bowl. It’s an annual tradition in our house—the crockpot runs all day to keep the queso warm.

But, if you want to be slightly more responsible and eat queso more frequently, I’m sharing a small batch of queso recipe for two people today. Think of this as your weekend queso—a quick little cheese dip made without Velveeta to start Friday night off on the right note.

I love this small batch queso without velveeta for many reasons. First, it’s made without processed cheese. I don’t have anything against Velveeta or American cheese, but I don’t keep it in my house! I actually love processed so much that I have a velveeta fudge recipe on this site, hah!

Second, I love that this queso is made completely on the stove top—no roasting of vegetables in the oven. We get the same flavors with a quick saute in butter, I promise. Third, this queso recipe can be reheated as many times as you need in the microwave. It won’t seize, burn or otherwise become ruined.

It’s a versatile queso dip that hugs tortilla chips perfectly. You’re very welcome. And if you love cheesy sauce that hugs everything it touches, make my chicken spaghetti recipe next, promise me!

Ingredients for queso without velveeta:

onion: Half of one small yellow onion, finely diced.
half and half: This is the base of our cheese dip.
extra sharp cheddar cheese: Buy a block and grate it yourself. Bagged, shredded cheese has a coating on it that impedes melting.
Monterey Jack cheese: Same rule applies--buy a block and grate it fresh for best results.
garlic: Two cloves of garlic, minced.
butter: Just one tablespoon for sautéing the vegetables.
flour: A few teaspoons of flour to thicken the sauce.
cream cheese: We're melting a small amount of cream cheese into the final dish to help it become even creamier and coat each chip that's dipped.
jalapeño or serrano pepper: Use one jalapeño or one serrano pepper, finely diced. Remove the seeds and membranes for less heat; leave them in for some spice!
tortilla chips: I use a mix of white corn and blue corn tortilla chips.
optional: cilantro, pico de gallo, extra serranos: I love serving this small batch queso with a scoop of pico de gallo, and garnishing it with cilantro. My husband likes extra serranos to amp up the spice even more.

How to make a small batch queso:

1. First, add the butterto a small sauce pan (I'm using this 2-quart saucepan, and it's the perfect size for cooking for two). Add the diced onion and cook until the onions are translucent and just starting to turn brown on the edges. Stir in the garlic andjalapeñopeppers.

2. Once the vegetables are soft, add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Then, stream in the half and half. Stir and lower the heat to low.

3. To make the queso, slowly add handfuls of cheese while stirring over low heat. Add the cheese in very small amounts while stirring. This is the key to making queso without velveeta--the cheese must be added slowly and stirred until melted before adding more.

4. Serve the queso with tortilla chips, and garnish with cilantro, extra jalapeños and pico de gallo, if desired.

I don't mean to brag, but I am a Texan, so this queso is perfect, in my not-so-humble opinion. My Texan recipes are pretty stellar, as evident by my ground beef for tacos. This queso without velveeta can be reheated in the microwave as many times as you need. The stability of the cream cheese makes it thick and easily reheated, making it perfect for your small Super Bowl party on the couch this year.

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