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Ella Cooks

High-Protein Cottage Cheese Queso for a Crowd

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I know exactly what you are picturing when you hear “cottage cheese queso,” and it is not this. There are no curds hiding in here, no grainy texture, no diet-food aftertaste. This blends up completely smooth, gets loaded with real melted cheese and seasoned beef, and disappears at every party I have brought it to.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Appetizer
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Makes about 7 cups, serves 8-10 as a party appetizer
  • 1 lb ground beef 85/15
  • 1 packet 1 oz taco seasoning
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 16 oz cottage cheese 2 cups
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
  • Optional toppings: sliced green onions diced tomato, sliced jalapeños

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat.
  2. Add the taco seasoning packet and 1/4 cup water to the beef. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Set aside.
  3. Add the cottage cheese, milk, and cornstarch to a blender. Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until completely smooth with no curds visible.
  4. Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then microwave for another 2 minutes and stir again until warm throughout.
  5. Add the shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese in 2 batches, microwaving in 30 second increments and stirring between each round, for about 3 to 4 rounds total, until fully melted and smooth.
  6. Stir in the drained tomatoes with green chiles and the seasoned ground beef.
  7. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one, for 2 to 3 more rounds, until everything is evenly heated through.
  8. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, or transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm for the party.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 18gFat: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 41g

Notes

Keeping It Warm Without It Separating

If you are serving this over a few hours, transfer it to a slow cooker set to warm, not low or high. The higher settings will cause the cheese to break and go grainy.
Stir it every 15 to 20 minutes, and if it starts looking a little separated or oily on top, stir in a splash of milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it smooths back out.
The cornstarch in the blended base is what keeps it stable for this long, so do not skip it.

Swaps for Dietary Needs

 
Lower fat: use 93/7 ground beef or ground turkey instead of 85/15 beef.
Dairy-free: swap the cottage cheese, milk, and shredded cheeses for your favorite dairy-free versions. The texture will be slightly less rich, but the seasoning carries most of the flavor here.
Lower sodium: use a low-sodium taco seasoning and a no-salt-added can of diced tomatoes. This is the easiest way to bring the sodium down significantly since the seasoning packet and canned tomatoes carry most of it.
Vegetarian: swap the ground beef for a can of drained black beans or a plant-based ground substitute, seasoned the same way with the taco seasoning and water.

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