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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Cowboy Queso

appetizer· dips· snacks· Tailgating Recipes
September 11, 2017

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post has been sponsored by Dr Pepper® and Johnsonville®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cowboy Queso – A chunky queso dip with chopped green chiles, roasted tomatoes, ground sausage, and sliced smoked cheddar sausage. The best dip to feed a hungry crowd during a tailgate. Perfectly pairs with ice-cold Dr Pepper!

Cowboy Queso being scooped with a chipFootball season is in full swing, people! If you’re like me, you’ve been spending your weekends hooked to the TV, watching your favorite team.

In the South, our fall weekends revolve around football. If someone plans a wedding on a key football weekend, you’ll find a group of people huddled in a corner watching the game on someone’s phone. It’s THAT serious.

There was a time that we’d spend every football weekend at a local pub or at a viewing party with my college booster club. However, as I’ve gotten older, I have a much better time hanging with friends at someone’s house. We could eat whatever we want, play games, and, most importantly, save a ton of money. This practice is what I like to call “homegating.”

To no one’s surprise, I love making food for homegating get-togethers. I put a lot of thought into what I want to serve for these parties. It has to be something unique but also recognizable.

But above all, it has to be filling. That means, almost all my favorite tailgating foods have tons of hearty flavors. And this Cowboy Queso is no exception.

Skillet full of Cowboy Queso Skillet of Cowboy Queso in front of dr. pepper Using a chip to scoop Cowboy Queso

This Cowboy Queso has all the fix’ns made for a “cowboy”: chunky tomatoes and chiles, hearty servings of crumbled sausage, sliced cheddar sausage pieces, and smoky spices.

I don’t have to tell you how incredibly flavorful this queso is.  Look at all those chunks! After the first bite, I was in queso heaven. I’m no cowboy and this queso still makes me drool just thinking about it.

With any salty snack, you need something sweet to quench that thirst. Dr Pepper has always been my drink of choice because it’s got just a hint of sweetness that I crave to balance out my snacks. You know I love my sweet and salty combo.

Can of dr. pepper

To make this queso, it’s actually quite simple. But before we get into it, I need to say this – there is absolutely NO fake cheese here. I am not a fake-cheese hater, don’t get me wrong. But there is a time and a place. And this cowboy queso is neither.

I love the big flavor and textures of real cheese so that is what I wanted to use in this queso – especially if I want it to stand up to the bold spices and chunks of sausage.

Speaking of the sausage, I used a combination of two Johnsonville sausages to achieve the perfect flavor in this cheese. Johnsonville sausages have the best seasonings so I never had to add anything to them when I’m using them in a recipe.

And what’s even better is that I don’t have to visit a specialty store to find these good-quality sausages – I easily found them at my local Publix in the breakfast meat section and/or the freezer aisle.

First, I sliced 3 Johnsonville Beddar with Cheddar Smoked Sausages and cooked them in a skillet just to crisp them up a bit. I love the extra bite they have after then get grilled or sautéed. Plus, how much more perfect of a sausage can you get?! It has cheese IN the sausage!

Cans of dr. pepper with a package of Johnsonville beddar cheddar sausages

Then, I crumbled two Johnsonville Original Brats into a skillet and browned them up. Their Original brats are such a classic sausage flavor but not overly spicy. We have so much spice going on in the queso with the diced chiles and pepperjack cheese so these sausages are the perfect fit.

Spoon holding sausages above a pot of cheese

After you’re done making the queso, you’ll have some extra sausages leftover so you can grill them up and eat them for dinner that night!

Johnsonville sausages in buns

To help you get this queso right, here are a few tips:

  1. I use cheese that I shred myself. Pre-shredded cheese has additives that makes the cheese not cake together. These additives make it hard for the cheese to melt together into one cohesive piece.
  2. In the pictures, I show the queso served in a cast-iron skillet. I love using my skillet for serving. It has a rustic look, keeps the dip warm, and is perfect for scooping out dip. However, I don’t like using a metal whisk against my cast-iron, for fear that the whisk will chip off the coating. So I make the dip in a saucepan and then pour into a warm skillet.
  3. To make a queso with real cheese, you need to slowly melt the cheese into the milk base. Otherwise, the cheese will clump up and never get smooth. Don’t worry though – my recipe below will walk you through the right steps to make sure this doesn’t happen.

There you have it – the queso of your sausage and cheese dreams. Don’t forget to serve this salty dip with a sweet drink that all the football fans crave – Dr Pepper!

Become the Party QB and win tickets to the SEC Football Championship on December 2, 2017 in Atlanta, GA! Three Grand Prize Winners will win 2 tickets to the game, airfare, and hotel accommodations, thanks to Dr Pepper® and Johnsonville Sausage®. 50 other lucky winners will win a $50 Publix Gift Card!

Don’t let your team down! Visit TailgateToVictory.com for your chance to win. Enter between 9/11 – 10/13/2017. Dr Pepper and Johnsonville are proud sponsors of the SEC.

Print Recipe

Cowboy Queso

A chunky queso dip with chopped green chiles, roasted tomatoes, ground sausage, and sliced smoked cheddar sausage. The best dip to feed a hungry crowd during a tailgate. Perfectly pairs with ice-cold Dr Pepper!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Servings: 5 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 Johnsonville Beddar with Cheddar Smoked Sausages sliced
  • 2 Original Johnsonville Brats raw and removed from casings
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 ounces pepperjack cheese shredded
  • 1 4.5-ounce can chopped green chiles
  • 7 ounces canned fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • tortilla chips for serving
  • Dr Pepper for serving

Instructions

  • First, we'll crisp the Beddar with Cheddar sausage. Heat medium skillet on medium heat. Add a little nonstick spray. Add sliced Beddar with Cheddar sausage to pan and cook until the bottom gets brown and crispy, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  • Place skillet back on heat. Add brat sausage meat (removed from casings) and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • Place a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter and let it melt completely. Once melted, add flour and whisk together to make a roux. Once flour and butter have combined, let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the half and half.
  • Let the milk mixture heat up until bubbles start to form around the edge. Reduce heat to low. Add about 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese to the mixture and whisky continuously until it completely melts. Repeat with rest of cheese in 1/4-cup increments. Do NOT add more than 1/4 cup of cheese at a time. Otherwise, the cheese will clump up and remain lumpy.
  • Once the cheese is completely smooth and melted, add diced chiles, tomatoes, spices, and garlic. Whisk together. Then, add in the sliced cheddar sausage and crumbled brat sausage. Stir together with a wooden spoon. Raise heat back to medium to get the cheese nice and hot. Continue stirring until cheese is hot.
  • Give cheese a taste. Add salt and pepper, if necessary. Place cheese into a large skillet or other serving dish. Serve with a bowl of tortilla chips and ice-cold Dr Pepper!

Pin for later:

Cowboy Queso photo collage

More tailgate foods you’ll love:

BBQ Chicken Nachos

Picking up a BBQ Chicken Nacho

Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dip

Pretzel bite dipped in beer cheese

Cobb Salad Dip

Pie dish full of Cobb Salad Dip

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25 Comments

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Comments

  1. susie liberatore says

    September 14, 2017 at 3:25 pm

    This is a must have to try!! So yummy!!

    Reply
  2. Denay DeGuzman says

    September 12, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    Yum, yum! This scrumptious Cowboy Queso is now on my list of recipes to make this weekend when the family gets together to celebrate a birthday. And it’s absolutely perfect for the fall season. I need to run, not walk, to my local market to pick up a yummy package of Johnsonville Smoked Sausages. And Dr. Pepper – it’s a party favorite!

    Reply
  3. Amber @ xoxo, Am says

    September 12, 2017 at 10:28 am

    I love regular queso! I definitely need to try this!!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 7:55 pm

      Yes you’re gonna love it!

      Reply
  4. Home Well Managed says

    September 12, 2017 at 10:16 am

    I so agree that the food for game parties needs to be filling!…otherwise I’d fill up on the desserts‍♀️ This dip sounds like something we would love at our house!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 7:56 pm

      Haha same here! I hope you guys get the chance to try it out soon!

      Reply
  5. Jenny says

    September 12, 2017 at 12:29 am

    This sounds so yummy! I’ll totally have to make this because I’m a queso addict.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 7:58 pm

      You and me both! I could eat this for a meal!

      Reply
  6. Cat says

    September 11, 2017 at 10:13 pm

    Mmmm this queso looks so tasty! Cannot wait to try to have some at home!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:00 pm

      Thanks so much! You’re gonna love it!

      Reply
  7. Stephanie says

    September 11, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    Oh my gosh, this looks amazingly delicious! My sister makes something similar but not with sausage in it. Yum!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:00 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  8. Karly says

    September 11, 2017 at 10:02 pm

    Am I a sports fan? Eh. Am I a sports FOOD fan? HECK to the yes!!! I get so excited for every weekend in the fall just because of the game day eats. This one definitely needs to be added to the table!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:02 pm

      Haha love that! Who said tailgates were just for celebrating football? We need to celebrate the football FOOD too! Thanks for stopping by, Karly! I look forward to your comments with each post 🙂

      Reply
  9. Trisha says

    September 11, 2017 at 9:54 pm

    I love everything about this! This is going to make for a seriously amazing sunday football experience! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:13 pm

      You got that right! I hope you have a chance to try it soon!

      Reply
  10. Michael @ Super Millennial says

    September 11, 2017 at 9:24 pm

    Wow — this is sooooo going to happen next Sunday for football. Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:15 pm

      Woohoo! Thanks so much!

      Reply
  11. Ant says

    September 11, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    I haven’t used brats in my queso recipe before. Thanks for the new twist!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:16 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  12. Steph says

    September 11, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    I couldn’t pin this fast enoug This will be a perfect recipe to take to a friends house to watch the game! Yum! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:18 pm

      Yes, for sure! Let me know how you like it!

      Reply
  13. Anna says

    September 11, 2017 at 2:48 pm

    Oh my this looks so yummy. I am trying this recipe.

    Reply
  14. Jenna Urben says

    September 11, 2017 at 11:53 am

    Omg yum!! I love the bacon and sausage in there.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 12, 2017 at 8:23 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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