Queso Bread Bowl with Chipotle
How to Dip Right: Best Queso Chipotle Bread Bowl
Cheese Dip. Deep Sigh. Super tasty Cheese Dip? Deep, deep sigh.
Chile con queso[1] (Spanish for “chile with cheese“), sometimes called simply queso, is an appetizer or side dish of melted cheese, or more usually, processed cheese such as Velveeta, and chili peppers, typically served in Tex-Mex restaurants as a dip for tortilla chips.
Wikipedia
This is a mash up.
Queso Bread Bowl is a mash up of a standard cheese fondue in a bread bowl and a super tasty Queso made with Chipotle Peppers so it’s a little smoky and a (very) little bit spicy. We use just enough Chipotle in Adobo to rev up the cheese into a Mexican influenced Queso.
Queso is usually served with corn chips.
And you could absolutely add some to serve this with too, if you’re a fan. The bread makes for a more substantial appetizer, and it is quite a crowd pleaser – which works, because this recipe serves a ton.
You can make this entirely in the bread bowl, but I usually don’t, because I don’t have that much time. (When I’m ready for Queso, I’m really ready.) I always forget to let the cream cheese come to room temp. I’m already putting the cream cheese in a bowl for 30 second increments in the microwave (on high), so I just move the program along a little bit by melting the entire cheese mixture in the microwave before I let it bake for about 18 minutes.
You don’t have to pre-cook this!
To bake entirely in the bread bowl, mix the softened cream cheese well with the other ingredients and put in bread bowl. This is important: cut the pointed end off the underside of the lid, and place the lid on top of the bowl to cover. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. You might need to stir the cheese once it’s all melted.
Soften the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl. I use one of our trusty stackable 10 piece glass bowls (affiliate links throughout) for this.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
Now pop it into the microwave for a minute or two, and stir it again.
Meanwhile, cut open your bread bowl and clear out the inside, making sure to leave the wall of the bread intact. It should be about 1/2″ thick. Use a serrated knife for the cutting – it’s less likely to leave you with a squished down bread bowl.
Place the bowl onto the middle of the baking sheet. Cut the inside and lid bread pieces into 1″ or so cubes and place on the same baking sheet. I also cut about 2/3 of a loaf of Italian bread into 1″ cubes and placed those on the baking sheet to toast. The bread bowl won’t yield enough bread cubes for the amount of dip this recipe makes. And I use Italian bread to fill in because it’s half the price of the bread bowl.
Pour the melted cheese into the bread bowl and brush or drizzle a little olive oil on the sides to make sure they brown up. Sprinkle with the reserved mozzarella. Sprinkling it across the slightly pink cheese gives a nice marbled effect when it’s fully cooked.
Move the bowl from the baking sheet with an extra long spatula. Serve with all the bread around the bowl on a big platter. When the cheese sinks a bit (because it’s been eaten!) start ripping up the bowl itself to eat.
Queso Bread Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Round Loaf of bread
- 8 ounce Package of Cream Cheese, softened
- 4 ounces White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 5 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
- 3/4 cups Seltzer Water or Club Soda
- 2 tbsp Adobo Sauce from can of Chipotle Peppers with Adobe
- 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, chopped fine
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Chopped Parsley for garnish
- 2/3 loaf Italian Bread or corn chips, for serving
Instructions
- Preaheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Soften cream cheese enough to be able to mix in the cheddar cheese, 4 ounces of the mozzarella, the seltzer water, the adobo sauce, chipotle peppers and salt.
- Place cheese mixture in the microwave oven and heat on high for about five minutes, stirring after every 45 seconds.
- Meanwhile, cut the top of the bread bowl, making a lid. Tear out the bread from the inside of the bread, leaving a 1/2" thick wall of bread. Cut the bread removed from inside the bowl and Italian bread into 1" cubes.
- Place bread bowl on baking sheet, and spread cut bread around. Brush oil on the top of the bread to facilitate browning.
- When queso is melted and well stirred, put into bread bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Place in preheated oven and bake until the bread is toasted and crispy, and the mozzarella cheese is melted, about 15 to 18 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
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