Queso is Spanish for cheese. This dish is really easy, very forgiving, and exceptionally tasty if you’re a cheese fan. If you can clean out the fridge and melt cheese, then you can make queso. Baked potatoes are optional.
This is another of those recipes that did the rounds on the Kamado BBQ pages, so I thought I’d give it a go. It was also on a day we really wanted baked potatoes (which of course in the UK we call a “jacket potato”), so it made sense to give these a go together. Queso with all the additives doesn’t necessarily look pretty (and spilling some of it on the patio isn’t advisable !) but it does taste great.
The Joe Junior was the perfect appliance for this outdoor cook. The smaller Dutch Oven I use seems to have been made for it – right size with a good amount of air circulation to let some smoke in from the coals. Of course, with a Dutch Oven, there was a LOT left over – more decadent cheese dip for another day.
Joe Jr’s Smoked Queso and Spuds
Doesn't necessarily look great, but this three cheese queso makes for a very versatile snack dish. Use with crisps, crackers, nachos or on top of potato.
Equipment
- Kamado Joe Junior
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Ingredients
Baked Potatoes
- 4 large potatoes for baking
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprinkles sea salt
Meat and vegetables
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage ground
- 4 oz chorizo finely cubed
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 green pepper deseeded and chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tsp fresh chilis any variety, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce optional
- 2 plum tomatoes deseeded and chopped
- 3 big splash Worcestershire sauce less or extra to taste
- 4 tbsp favourite BBQ rub (Volcano Dust) less or extra to taste
Queso !
- 1 lb white american cheese cubed
- 1 lb munster cheese cubed
- ½ lb sharp cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 tbsp pickled jalapeños finely chopped
- 1 small can condensed mushroom soup
- 1 small can creamed corn
- 1 tsp cilantro chopped
Instructions
Baked Potatoes
- Fire up the Kamado Joe Junior and prepare for indirect heat at approximately 250°F. Place the grill in the top position.
- Wrap four clean potatoes separately in baking foil with some olive oil and salt. Place the potatoes on the grill, close the lid and stabilise at 250°F.
- Bake the potatoes slowly for two hours.
Meat and vegetables
- After two hours, remove the deflector plate to switch the Kamado Joe to direct cooking. Place the wrapped potatoes directly on the coals or on the fire ring to continue cooking.
- Place the Dutch Oven on the grill and add the oil until smoking
- Add the "meat and vegetables" – sausage, chorizo, onion, shallot, pepper, garlic, chilis and tomatos.
- Once browned/softened, add in the Worcestershire sauce and BBQ rub. Stir.
Queso !
- Add the cubed cheeses, pickled japaleños, soup and corn. Close the lid and ensure the dome remains stable at 250°F.
- Check the queso after 15 minutes and stir, making sure to go all the way to the bottom to ensure nothing sticks.
- Check on the potatoes at the same time, especially if the potatoes are directly on the coals. Turn the potatoes over and/or swap the potatoes around to distribute the heat. Remove when crispy on the outside/soft on the inside.
- Close the lid after each stir/check. Repeat each 15 minutes until all of the cheese blocks are melted.
- Sprinkle cilantro on the top and serve. This dish looks awful, but a little deliberate greenery might help. A photograph in black and white also helps :-). Baked potatoes are great with melted butter and queso. Crisps and snacks go well with it as a dip.
Video
Notes
This is a very forgiving recipe. Pretty well any chilis can be added. The rub can be a favourite too, as can the meat – substitute ground (minced) beef and anything else that you have in, that you think will work.
The specific combination of cheese can be adapted to the contents of the fridge also. As long as it’s cheese that melts, all will be well !
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