chile con queso

American  

[chil-ee kon key-soh] / ˈtʃɪl i kɒn ˈkeɪ soʊ /

Or chili con queso

noun

1. a Tex-Mex dip of melted cheese with hot peppers, onion, and tomato, usually served as an appetizer with tortilla chips.

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Etymology

Origin of chile con queso

First recorded in 1915–20; from Mexican Spanish: literally “chile with cheese”; see origin at chili ( def. ), queso ( def. )

Example Sentences

Another important distinction is that “it was the first chile con queso recipe to call specifically for American cheese. A truly American queso in both name and style had arrived.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 6, 2023

I dust it over simmered roasted green chiles, which I cap with blistered asadero cheese for a Borderlands-style chile con queso.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2022

None of this matters, of course, to chile con queso fans, who rely on Velveeta because of its ability to melt into a smooth goo.

From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2019

Martinez combined the restaurant’s housemade chile con queso with taco meat and guacamole, and a star was born.

From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2019

Queso is short for chile con queso, so named for the hot peppers that are stirred into the melted cheese.

From New York Times • May 19, 2015