We seem to be having Cinco de Mayo week rather than just a day here at the Frugal household! Really, the three previous posts are all leading up to this very special recipe, Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso. What can I say? This is a masterpiece. I wish I could have gotten this recipe to you before the holiday, but make it anytime or pin it for later!
Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso
Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso is no ordinary cheese dip…it’s a velvety smooth melty cheese sauce punctuated by poblano peppers, jalapeno, tomato, and onion all lovingly napped over a layer of Picadillo, which is just an amped up mixture of ground beef (or in this case my Family’s Favorite Taco Filling.) You could go with either recipe for your bottom layer of the casserole dish. Then the queso is topped off with Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, and Sour Cream! And a garnish of jalapenos, maybe Pickled Jalapenos.
A disclaimer: Since I’ve made this, I’ve seen several recipes very similar to mine as well as a few I based mine on (including a Bon Appetit version) with comments that this is nothing like the actual Bob Armstrong! Regardless, this is fabulous! If you’re still interested, forge ahead!
About Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso:
There’s a whole story behind this dip, named after Bob Armstrong, a Texas personality. The Dip is fondly referred to as “The Bob” and people seem to go nuts over it. I know we did. There are a few different recipe variations and some use American cheese, but I adapted one and used Colby and Jack.
Not that I won’t dip into the American cheese now and then, like for my Original Cheese Zombies or my all time fave Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole or an occasional grilled cheese…but those little escapades are far and few between. And it’s not that I’m above a little American (there’s nothing I dislike more than food shaming!) It’s all just personal taste, but I really like the combo of the sharper Jack and the melty Colby in this particular dish.
Besides this dip is so special, you’ll want to make the BEST queso, amirite?! If you’re going to have a crowd, you’re going to want to make more of your Bob Armstrong. I’d say to prepare everything ahead, double or triple, or more, and then play restaurant chef. Whip out dishes of this as the ones circulating go low.
Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso
Making Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso:
Now, as you can see, Bob Armstrong’s Chile con Queso Dip is a bit of an extravaganza. It is several recipes all rolled into one. That could potentially be a super pain to make. Make it easy on yourself and let some of these do double duty:
- Serve tacos a day or two ahead and double the recipe and stash half away for your Bob.
- Pico de Gallo won’t keep too long and still look fresh, but it can be made ahead, too, maybe to go on those tacos.
Even if you don’t make either of those recipes for your consumption, at least knock them out a day or two ahead to cut down on the work. That makes the final dish quite a bit more doable. It also gets a lot of the clean up (and cooking smells) out of the way. Then you can concentrate on the queso and the fresh components.
All you’ll have left to do to make your “Bob” then, is mash up the Best Guacamole (you’ll probably have a little extra, which is never a bad thing, since you just need a dollop or two for your Bob) and whip up that cheese sauce.
The Cheese Sauce:
Let’s talk about that cheese sauce! Oh, that cheese sauce ! I swear I could just inhale it! In your saucepan, you’ll lay down a base of onion, jalapeno, poblano, and garlic then saute until tender. Add in the diced tomatoes and cook down until the juices are concentrated and incorporated.
Next comes the roux; cook a little flour in the mixture and then add in the milk, a bit at a time, stirring. Once the milk is all in and a line can be drawn across the back of a spoon without filling in, in goes the cheese. Off the heat, please, bit by bit, stirring until it’s all homogenized and smooth before adding a bit more. Small bits by picking up piles with your fingertips is the key; be patient.
If the cheese sauce sits for a while before you use it, it’s likely you’ll need to add a bit more milk; it will thicken up.
Saving Money on Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso:
I’ve covered pricing for the individual dishes that go into you Bob on their own posts, but here are a few hints for the remainder here and the assembly.
the fresh items:
- You can’t go wrong making this when you see tomatoes & avocados on sale, although with the fresh ingredients, it’s a little harder to plan for. You might need to buy both the avocados and tomatoes a bit ahead so they can ripen on your counter.
- If you happen to see poblanos and/or jalapenos on sale prior to making this dish, pick them up; they’ll last for a week or two just fine in the fridge.
Cheese:
Cheese is an item that is on sale so often, it’s not that hard to keep stocked up at a low.
- An item that’s often rock bottom around sporting events and holidays and periodically drops to a low throughout the year, there’s no reason to pay full price.
- Both Lidl and Aldi have great prices, rivaling grocery store sales pricing. Your buyer’s club might. Crunch the numbers. Beware of sliced or shredded; depending on your area the the packages may contain less cheese than the blocks.
- Cheese keeps for weeks in the fridge unopened. It may be frozen but will be crumbly upon being thawed, suitable only for things like casseroles or recipes like this.
Sour Cream:
Sour cream can be a little pricy, especially the better, thicker ones. Plan for buying it on sale, take steps to keep it fresh and maximize it once opened.
- Sour cream goes on sale regularly, especially around holidays. It has a long shelf life in the fridge (for dairy, at least) unopened but once opened, make sure the seal is tight and store it upside down. There won’t be as much air displacement, it won’t get dry around the edges, and will stay fresh longer.
- When you use sour cream, keep it covered with the little foil cover, even if it’s just loosely covered between “dips” and use a clean utensil; you’ll introduce less contamination and it will last much longer.
- If your sour cream ever separates and looks watery when you open it, just stir it back together.
Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso
Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso
An extravaganza! Piccadillo (seasoned ground beef) covered with Queso, then topped with Guac, Pico de Gallo & Sour Cream. Don’t forget the Jalapenos!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 large poblano chile, finely chopped
- 3 jalapeños, finely chopped (possibly more for garnish)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (or more) whole milk
- ½ pound Monterey Jack/Colby cheese, grated
- 1 recipe of Our Family’s Favorite Taco meat or Picadillo
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups sour cream
- jalapenos or Pickled Jalapenos, for garnish
- chips for serving
Instructions
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, poblano chile, jalapeños and garlic, stirring now and then until tender but not browned, about six to eight minutes. Add the garlic during the last minute or two of cooking time.
Add the tomatoes, season with salt, and continue to cook until juices have evaporated, another three or four minutes.
Stir in flour and cook until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and continue to cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens enough so that a line drawn along the back of a spoon that has been dipped into the mixture leaves a clean edge, about three or four minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool just slightly, two or three minutes. Add the cheese in small handfuls, stirring until each handful is incorporated and completely melted and mixture is smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a little more milk.
Spread warm taco meat or picadillo in a 2 quart baking dish. Pour hot queso over meat. Top with a generous scoop each of pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. Sprinkle with red onion, chives and/or cilantro.
Serve hot dip with corn chips; garnish with additional jalapeno or pickled jalapenos.
Notes
Queso can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat slowly before assembling.
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Of course I’ll be bringing these tacos to Fiesta Friday, hosted this week by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Sue @ Birgerbird. I’ve already seen all kinds of wonderful Mexican & Southwestern food there this week in honor of Cinco de Mayo.
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