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Texas caviar chile con queso

Servings 8
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

For the Texas caviar:

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peasdrained or 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded, stemmed, and diced
  • 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons diced red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

For the queso:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons diced red onion
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) yellow American cheese, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

  • To make the Texas caviar, stir together the black-eyed peas, tomatoes, jalapeños, red bell pepper,  red onion, garlic, cilantro,  salt, black pepper, cumin, olive oil, and lime juice until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be made a day ahead.)
  • To make the queso, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
  • Whisk together the cornstarch, half and half, and water until well combined, then pour into the pot. Turn the heat up a smudge to medium and while constantly stirring, bring to a simmer (don't let it come to a raging boil!) and cook until the mixture begins to thicken, which should happen in a couple of minutes.
  • Turn the heat down to low and add the cheese, a handful at a time, and stir until each handful of cheese has melted and the queso is smooth. Repeat until all the cheese has been added.
  • Stir in the cumin, cayenne, and salt, then taste and adjust the seasonings.
  • Transfer the queso to a serving bowl, a small slow cooker, or a chafing dish over a flame. Top the queso with the Texas caviar (or add half and leave the other half in a bowl on the side) and serve with chips.

Notes

For the American cheese, I prefer to get mine from the deli counter at the grocery store so you don't have to unwrap each individual slice. Kraft Deli Deluxe in the cheese aisle is a good option, too, as it also comes unwrapped.