Yeah, that’s right. I made queso out of brie. (Because a girl can only watch so many hours of Big Game Pre-Game Nonsense.)

Brie. And caramelized onions. And a little milk. And 1/2 teaspoon of a secret ingredient that will let you turn just about any cheese into a smooth, melty cheese sauce: sodium citrate.

I’ve also made excellent chile con queso using real cheeses (no processed cheezes at all), macaroni and cheese, and a nacho sauce out of a cheese you’d never think to make nachos with… but those – those are for another day. Today, we’re talking brie.

So that sodium citrate – I spied it on the Huffington Post a couple months ago. It basically allows cheese to dreamily melt without separating into a clumpy, oily mess. Add some to a little milk, add your cubed or shredded cheese, and then dig out your stretchy-waisted pants. Because your going to need them.

The sweetness of the caramelized onions and the richness of the brie are a match made in queso heaven.

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Brie and Caramelized Onion Queso

A cheesy queso dip made from brie, caramelized onions, and a secret ingredient: sodium citrate.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup caramelized onions (yield from 1/2 large white onion)*
• 8 oz wheel brie
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp sodium citrate

Instructions

1. To caramelize the onions, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat.
2. Add the onions and cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add 1/2 cup water to the onions and stir well, covering and cooking for another 10 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup more water to the onions and stir, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Remove lid and cook another 5-10 minutes, reducing heat if necessary, until desired color is reached (I usually call it around 30-35 minutes).
6. While the onions are cooking, take a spoon and scrape the white rind off the brie.
7. Cut the brie into 4 wedges. Take a vegetable peeler and make one pass over the scraped surfaces to remove the thin rind.
8. Cut the brie into small cubes.
9. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and rinse out the pan.
10. Heat milk in the pan over medium heat and add the sodium citrate, stirring to dissolve.
11. Add the brie and stir occasionally at first, and then more frequently as it slowly melts.
12. When the brie has melted, add 1/2 cup of caramelized onions to the queso and stir.
13. Serve hot/warm.

Notes

Yields: 1+ cup

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Estimated time: 45 minutes