Chef’s notes
Queso is a crowd pleaser at any gathering. Recently, smoked queso took the country by storm through social media popularity on Facebook and TikTok. I can tell you it's worth the hype—it's tasty, super easy, and can be used with a wide array of proteins.
This is a fun side that can be made with any combo of cheese and meat you have laying around. It's a great use for leftover ground venison, shredded wild turkey, shredded venison shank, or smoked trout. I've even used rattlesnake in this recipe. It's able to convert any wild game skeptic.
Ingredients
- 32 oz. queso blanco cheese
- 8 oz. habanero jack cheese
- ½ lb. ground venison
- ¼ cup chopped red pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup chopped jalapeno
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
Preparation
- Brown meat in a pan and cut cheese into 1-inch cubes.
- Place all ingredients, except for the milk, into an oven safe pan (an aluminum BBQ pan works great here). Place the pan into a smoker at 275°F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melted. Any wood flavor will work, but I'd avoid fruity options.
- Once the cheese is melted, stir to fully incorporate all of the ingredients. Add milk as needed to thin out the queso until a desired consistency is achieved.
- Pour the hot queso into a dish, and cover with plastic wrap until served to prevent a skin from forming on top. Serve with chips or use to top tacos, nachos, enchiladas, and burritos.
