The Best Queso

I’m super excited to share this queso recipe with you. This Mexican dip is cheesy, creamy and full of fresh flavor. It’s surprisingly easy to make and…

The post The Best Queso appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

best queso recipe

I’m super excited to share this queso recipe with you. This Mexican dip is cheesy, creamy and full of fresh flavor. It’s surprisingly easy to make and utterly irresistible.

This recipe uses a simple secret ingredient—cream cheese—to achieve its gloriously creamy texture and light tang. No flour and no fussy roux required here (as a bonus, this queso is gluten free).

This stovetop queso possesses all of Velveeta’s positive attributes, but it tastes a million times nicer. It even cools down with grace, developing just a slight skin on top that really doesn’t detract from its appeal.

queso ingredients

If you’re like me, you probably don’t need an excuse to eat queso while sipping a margarita. I grew up around a lot of Tex-Mex food and like to consider myself a queso connoisseur. If queso is on the menu, I’ve likely sampled it.

My husband, on the other hand, exercises an impressive amount of restraint when it comes to queso. He tells me he doesn’t like it. (He’s generally a rational man, though I question him in cheese-related matters.) This queso is an exception to his rule. He loves it.

We both agree that this is the best queso we’ve ever had. Try it, and I hope you’ll say the same!

Continue to the recipe...

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Grapefruit Cocktails for When You Need a Refreshing Sip, Stat

We’ve teamed up with Fever-Tree to share season-ready drinks recipes starring their top-notch cocktail mixers—like Sparkling Pink Grapefruit and classic Ginger Beer. Here, Esteban Castillo of Chicano Eats shares two bright, citrusy recipes you can stir…

We’ve teamed up with Fever-Tree to share season-ready drinks recipes starring their top-notch cocktail mixers—like Sparkling Pink Grapefruit and classic Ginger Beer. Here, Esteban Castillo of Chicano Eats shares two bright, citrusy recipes you can stir up in no time flat.


When it comes to cocktails, “the simpler the better,” says Esteban Castillo—the creator of Chicano Eats, a food blog-turned-cookbook that celebrates Chicano (Mexican-American) cuisine and culture through stories, photos taken by Castillo himself, and of course, lots of delicious recipes.

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Easy Mango Salsa

With Cinco de Mayo coming up tomorrow, I thought I’d pop in to share this mango salsa. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make throughout the spring and summer because it’s refreshing, fun, and so darn simple. Follow the recipe once o…


With Cinco de Mayo coming up tomorrow, I thought I’d pop in to share this mango salsa. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make throughout the spring and summer because it’s refreshing, fun, and so darn simple. Follow the recipe once or twice, and you’ll be able to leave the measuring cups in the drawer and just eyeball the ingredients. After that, you can change it up in all sorts of ways. Mix in avocado, or add some black beans. You could even toss in pickled jalapeños! Because this is such an easy, flexible recipe, it lends itself well […]

Easy Mango Salsa

Make use of fresh spring and summer produce with this vibrant mango salsa! Sweet mango blends perfectly with spicy jalapeño, zesty onion, and lime juice for a spicy-sweet flavor. Just 8 ingredients, 20 minutes, and 1 bowl required. Let us show you how …

Easy Mango Salsa

Make use of fresh spring and summer produce with this vibrant mango salsa! Sweet mango blends perfectly with spicy jalapeño, zesty onion, and lime juice for a spicy-sweet flavor. Just 8 ingredients, 20 minutes, and 1 bowl required. Let us show you how it’s done!

Origins of Salsa

Salsa is thought to have originated in Central America from the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans. It dates as far back as the 1500s, when it was used as a condiment to add flavor and spice.

Easy Mango Salsa from Minimalist Baker →

Mango Avocado Shrimp Salsa.

This shrimp salsa is a warm weather favorite and one I’ll be making all summer long! Made with mango, avocado, lime & cherry tomatoes, it is so delicious served with crispy tortilla chips or even in butter lettuce cups. Irresistible!  Okay, I have found our new go-to summer dish!! Seriously, this shrimp salsa is about […]

The post Mango Avocado Shrimp Salsa. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This shrimp salsa is a warm weather favorite and one I’ll be making all summer long! Made with mango, avocado, lime & cherry tomatoes, it is so delicious served with crispy tortilla chips or even in butter lettuce cups. Irresistible! 

Okay, I have found our new go-to summer dish!!

mango avocado shrimp salsa

Seriously, this shrimp salsa is about to be on repeat the entire summer. Let’s just say for the next six months, until it cools down again.

tomatoes, mango, onion, cilantro in a bowl

I guess we could SORT of say it’s like a ceviche, but really only in texture and slight taste only. I didn’t want to use raw shrimp at the moment since I’m pregnant and also since I knew the kids would be in it. Also, because half of my family members probably wouldn’t eat it then. Ha!

So here we are.

It’s like a faux-ceviche and absolutely delicious!

mango avocado shrimp salsa

Let’s talk about how this is theeeeee absolute perfect go-to dish or the warm weather months.

First, you can prep nearly all of it ahead of time. I mean, you can fully assemble except for the avocado. Throw it all together, mix it up and add the avocado right before serving. Boom! Done. Incredible snack or app in just a few minutes.

Next, it’s SO easy. Again, just throwing everything together. If you find yourself in a super busy season of life right now, this is the dish to make. It feels elevated and almost elegant. But if you have some shrimp on hand, it just comes together so unbelievably fast. Even though I’ll have a newborn this summer, I can easily see this being a staple because of how simple it is. 

Third, it’s a great dish that you can serve outdoors with a few friends. Perfect for happy hour. I realize that right now, having a group of people dip chips into a dish may be a little dicey for sanitary purposes. Fill up mini cups with this shrimp salsa and serve with your chips! You could even throw the shrimp salsa in little martini glasses like some restaurants do with ceviche!  (more…)

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Spring Tortellini Salad

I love making tortellini salads because they are filling, easy to make, and perfect for an easy dinner or lunch. They are also a great dish to take to parties and potlucks. My Greek Tortellini Salad has been a favorite for years and my Summer Tortellin…

I love making tortellini salads because they are filling, easy to make, and perfect for an easy dinner or lunch. They are also a great dish to take to parties and potlucks. My Greek Tortellini Salad has been a favorite for years and my Summer Tortellini Salad is a summer staple. Well, I figured it…

The post Spring Tortellini Salad appeared first on Two Peas & Their Pod.

Mango Margarita

It’s finally warming up in Chicago, so we’re cooling off with this mango margarita! To me, it’s the perfect warm weather drink – frosty, refreshing, and blissfully easy to make. Just toss 5 ingredients into the blender, puree un…


It’s finally warming up in Chicago, so we’re cooling off with this mango margarita! To me, it’s the perfect warm weather drink – frosty, refreshing, and blissfully easy to make. Just toss 5 ingredients into the blender, puree until smooth, and enjoy! Yep, making this frozen mango margarita recipe is as simple as that. Another great thing about this recipe? It’s all about the mango. Instead of using mango juice or added sweeteners, I blend up frozen mango to create its thick texture and sweet, tangy flavor. Once you try it, you’ll never make a mango margarita any other way. It’s smooth, […]

How to Cut a Mango

Welcome to How to Cut a Mango 101! Here on Love & Lemons, we have recipes for mango salsa, mango tacos, mango margaritas, and even mango sushi. Suffice it to say, a simple guide on how to cut a mango is way overdue. Cutting a mango isn’t diff…


Welcome to How to Cut a Mango 101! Here on Love & Lemons, we have recipes for mango salsa, mango tacos, mango margaritas, and even mango sushi. Suffice it to say, a simple guide on how to cut a mango is way overdue. Cutting a mango isn’t difficult, but if you’re attempting it for the first time, it can be perplexing. Should you peel it first? What shape should the pieces be? And what on earth should you do about that pit? If you’re asking these questions, you’re in the right place! Below, you’ll find my method for how to […]

Easy Flourless Granola Cookies

The concept for these cookies came to be when I was eating a bowl of granola and wished it was a cookie and wondered if combining the two was possible. After some experimenting, we were so excited to discover it is — and it’s SO delicious! If you’re lo…

Easy Flourless Granola Cookies

The concept for these cookies came to be when I was eating a bowl of granola and wished it was a cookie and wondered if combining the two was possible. After some experimenting, we were so excited to discover it is — and it’s SO delicious! If you’re looking for a more wholesome cookie with plenty of nutritious nuts and seeds, this is the one for you. Just 1 bowl and 10 ingredients required.

Easy Flourless Granola Cookies from Minimalist Baker →

Our 10 Most Popular New Recipes in April

April showers bring great dinners? Indeed. Though the top two recipes are sweet treats (you’ll see), this month was full of savory knockouts, like slurpable noodles, a speedy-as-heck sandwich, and extra-lemony rice that goes with anything. Take a strol…

April showers bring great dinners? Indeed. Though the top two recipes are sweet treats (you’ll see), this month was full of savory knockouts, like slurpable noodles, a speedy-as-heck sandwich, and extra-lemony rice that goes with anything. Take a stroll through our most popular new recipes below, then let us know what you’re cooking up these days.

10. Moqueca-Inspired Egg Stew

A cozy vegetarian stew “perfect for nights when you want something warming and comforting yet still light and bright in flavor,” writes EmilyC.

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