Recipe: Simple Skinny Queso

Cheese lovers, rejoice! This Simple Skinny Queso recipe is the answer to your weight loss prayers! We combine cornstarch, almond milk, tomatoes, cheese and all kinds of yummy ingredients for a warm, delicious and healthy queso recipe. In fact, a quarter-cup of this goodness clocks in at only 53 calories and 3 grams of fat!

Here’s how to mince that garlic:

Pro tips:

• Serve this queso with your favorite tortilla chips or veggies.
• If you can handle the heat, stay in the kitchen and add an optional 1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce! We promise you won’t regret it.
• If the queso gets too thick as it sits, stir in more almond milk over low heat to thin it out.

Recipe: Simple Skinny Queso

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Serving size: ¼ cup

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat mild cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is beginning to brown but not burning, about 1 minute.
2. Stir the cornstarch into ¼ cup of the almond milk to make a slurry and set aside.
3. Add the drained can of tomatoes and cook an additional 2 minutes until they are heated. Sprinkle the flour over the tomatoes and stir for 1 minute.
4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir in the remaining almond milk and the previously set-aside slurry. Stir consistently for 2-4 minutes, until thickened.
5. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cheddar cheese. Stir queso until smooth.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: (¼ cup)

Calories: 53

Calories from fat: 21

Fat: 3g

Saturated Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 7mg

Sodium: 207mg

Carbohydrates: 5g

Fiber: 0g

Sugar: 1g

Protein: 3g

SmartPoints: 2

3.1The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.