Hatch Green Chile Queso
We LOVE Hatch Green Chiles! Who doesn’t love queso! What happens when you bring these two wonderful things together? Culinary excellence!
Things to know:
What is a queso?
Queso (Spanish for “cheese”) usually refers to a popular Tex-Mex appetizer: a warm, melted cheese dip mixed with chilies, tomatoes, and spices, served with tortilla chips. It’s creamy, gooey, and can range from simple versions (like Velveeta and Rotel) to more complex ones with chorizo, poblano peppers, or other additions, and it’s also used as a sauce for tacos, nachos, and burritos
What’s so special about Hatch green chiles?
Hatch chiles are special due to the unique terroir of New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, featuring nutrient-rich volcanic soil, high elevation, and fluctuating temperatures, creating a complex, robust flavor unmatched elsewhere, celebrated with annual roasting festivals and embodying rich Southwestern culture, making them a prized ingredient beyond just heat. “Hatch” refers to the region, not a single variety, encompassing peppers like Big Jim and Sandia, known for their smoky, buttery depth when roasted and versatility in dishes from enchiladas to burgers.
Are hatch green chile peppers hot?
Yes, Hatch green chiles have heat, but it varies significantly by variety, ranging from mild (around 1,000 SHU, like a poblano) to quite hot (up to 8,000 SHU or more, similar to or hotter than a jalapeño), offering mild, medium, hot, and extra-hot options with distinct earthy, smoky flavors. You can find specific cultivars like Sandia or Lumbre for more heat, while others are mellow and great for roasting and stuffing.
What is the difference between Hatch chiles and green chiles?
Hatch chile is a specific type of green chile grown in New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, known for its earthy, slightly sweet flavor and versatile heat (mild to hot) due to unique soil, while “green chile” is a broader term for any pepper harvested green, like Anaheim or Pueblo, which can have different tastes, textures, and spice levels, though Hatch is a premium green chile with distinct regional character. Essentially, all Hatch chiles are green chiles, but not all green chiles are Hatch chiles.
Ingredients:
1/2 medium white onion, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 5 ounce can evaporated milk
1 large pinch salt
1 1/2 cup shredded Montey Jack Cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4-1/2 cup half & half
3 hatch chiles, roasted, stemmed and seeded, minced (or poblano or anaheim)
1 can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes (the Director commands it!)
1. Treat yourself nice and shred your own cheese from blocks. Don’t get the pre-shredded stuff.
2. Chuck all of the ingredients in an aluminum pan.
3. Chuck that pan into the smoker set at 250F.
4. After an hour, or when all the cheese is melted, stir the queso and EAT! ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640 Smoker
DISCLOSURE: When we link to products and services, those links may be customized affiliate links. If you click on any of those affiliate links and make a purchase within a certain time frame, We’ll earn a small commission. The commission is paid by the retailers.
Here’s an example: If we link to our favorite vegetable peeler, and you click on that link and complete a purchase within the next 24 hours, we may receive a commission somewhere between 1 to 10 percent of your total order.
We are careful to link to products and retailers that we use ourselves and recommend. These affiliate programs use cookies to track visits for the purposes of assigning commission on these sales. Money earned keeps Galley of the Sun running and allows us to do what we love.
Thank you for your support.
SELECT AFFILIATE PROGRAM DETAILS: We are currently members of affiliate programs with Amazon and Dalstrong. We are eligible to earn from qualifying purchases.