I’ve always loved the snow. Even when I was ten years old and instead of playing with my friends I was shoveling the driveway. No one in our 90’s era working-class neighborhood had a snow blower, certainly not my family. Our mountain neighborhood was always quiet when I was outdoors shoveling feet of snow, which I’m sure builds character. As does teaching yourself to cook healthy meals at twelve years old, like this healthy Keto Queso.
Unlike today’s adolescents who spend so much time TikToking, I built character by physical exercise and creating a love for the great outdoors. So it was the stillness of the wilderness during those February snowstorms that I remember most. Back in the day, kids did not have cell phones. I grew up in a neighborhood a one-minute walk to the forest. When my mom said “Go outside” She meant “And don’t come back til it’s dark”I often say, I was raised by wolves because I literally grew up playing in the forest with grey squirrels and stellar Jays for friends but actually we do not have wolves in southern California. Fun fact. And it is just nuts how many people who live here in southern California believe wolves are living in these woods. (No, just Angie’s silly Huskies)
I may have grown up in a ski town but I never grew up skiing. That was for the rich kids on my elementary school’s ski team. Certainly not anyone from our working-class family. Besides the fact that absolutely no one in our family was athletic in any way. My 95-year-old grandma still asks me today ” Why do you run? Why do you hike”
The obvious answer is that I really like to eat cheese.
Lucky me, these days my boyfriend and I are on the keto quest which means all cheese, all the time. But have you ever met a Keto Queso? So many versions of queso or cheese dip in general start out with making a roux, which is basically just flour and milk and lots of carbs. If you are on the keto craze like me, trust me, you don’t need a roux.
What can you use this delicious Keto Queso for? Simply put, what does it not go on? Try some with your breakfast scrambled eggs. I personally love this with a protein burger. That’s actually why I came up with this recipe. Keto Queso may sound like a tongue twister but it’s flat out delicious.
Seven-dollar burger my fat ass
I had just snowshoes oh so many mountain miles. I needed lunch and I needed a burger salad. I needed to make a copy-cat Carl’s Jr Diablo Burger asap. Unfortunately, those jerks at Carl’s Jr discontinued that spicy goodness, right after they got me hooked! Protein style, of course!
Obviously, this Keto Queso is great as just a dip. Dip green bell pepper slices, sliced radishes or slices of celery in this delicious spicy queso dip. I personally love this spicy queso over beef taco salad. It’s great over breakfast eggs with some homemade salsa as well.
Spicy Keto Queso
1 cup Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup whole-fat cottage cheese
1/2teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon sriracha
2 jalapenos, roasted and chopped up fine
Combine all these ingredients in a Nutri Bullet then add to a oven-safe baking dish. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
