The Best Queso Ever

Happy Cinco De Mayo!
When we lived in Oklahoma I was introduced to queso - real queso. Before that all I knew of queso was from a jar in the chip aisle, which was always a hard pass from me. In OKC all the best Mexican restaurants started the meal with house made chips & tortillas, fresh salsa, and white queso. This my friends was one of the worst food discoveries ever. You know why? Because I learned that queso is good! When we moved to Texas it was even worse, because the queso was even better.

When we moved back to the Northwest good queso was hard to find. So I did what I do. I tinkered in the kitchen, tried this recipe, and that recipe, mixed it this way, and that way, and boom. Perfection. First things first, here's what you need to whip up the perfect queso.

16 Oz of Velveeta (I know, I know, but trust me)
12 Oz Roasted Salsa
1 4 oz can of Diced Green Chilies
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt (again - trust me on this)
1/2 Cup roughly copped cilantro
1/4 Cup Queso Fresco (optional but next level)
1 tsp of garlic salt
1 tsp of chili lime seasoning

This is a super easy one pot recipe!
In a sauce pan over Medium heat add Velveeta, milk, greek yogurt, and seasonings. Once smooth add in salsa, and green chilies. Once well combined add cilantro and queso fresco.

Top with an extra sprinkle of queso fresco and boom, perfect queso!

Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest

I love Cranberry Sauce! It's tart, tangy, and the perfect thing to bring balance to an overly salty Thanksgiving meal.  And bonus, it's so easy to make!

The Deets
1 lb Fresh Cranberries
1/4 Cup Sugar (1/2 cup if you like them really sweet)
Zest from 2 Clementines
Juice from 2 Clementines
Pinch of Salt
Zest for garnish

The How To
Add sugar, zest, pinch of salt, and celementine juice to a sauce pan over low heat until it turns to a light syrup. About 3 minutes.

Rinse and add cranberries, stirring every few minutes. Cooking time depends on how smooth you like your cranberry sauce. I prefer mine more of a relish style with chunks.

Here's what it looks like about 5 minutes in.

And at 10 minutes. This is how I prefer mine - still chunky, but no intact cranberries. Top with additional orange zest for garnish.

It's the perfect easy side dish for your Thanksgiving meal.

Happy Thanksgiving!