Jenna and Hoda Know the Best Queso Recipe Is on the Back of the Box

These days, we’re spoiled by having recipes at our fingertips at all times. We’re so used to turning to the internet to find new ones, but here at Allrecipes, we know that sometimes the best recipes come from the back of a box (or can, bag, package, etc.).

I have two go-to back-of-the-box recipes. One of them is on the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa canister. The recipe makes the best chocolate cake ever, and I always make it for everyone’s birthday. The other is Impossible Bacon Pie, a quiche-like recipe taken from the back of an ‘80s Bisquick box that my mom always made. It was one of the first dishes I ever cooked on my own.

Morning show co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager recently appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" to celebrate Clarkson’s new season, and they brought along a favorite food that happened to be made from a famous back-of-the-box recipe that's been around for years.

A Texas-Sized Snack

“You’re so Texas,” Clarkson said to Hager after she came in holding what she called a “vat of queso.” It was so heavy that Hagar’s biceps were shaking. (She must have doubled or tripled the recipe.)

“Jenna made it. It’s her own personal recipe,” joked Kotb, “I don’t want to reveal where you can find it, but if you get Velveeta and you turn it over on the back, that’s the spot.”

Clarkson knew just the recipe. “Velveeta and Ro-tel. That’s so Texas!” she laughed. 

How to Make Jenna Bush Hager’s Favorite Queso

The Velveeta Ro-tel Famous Queso Dip recipe (which can also be found on the back of a Ro-tel can) could not be any easier to make. Cut 16 ounces of Velveeta into cubes and put them in a microwave-safe bowl. Dump an undrained 10-ounce can of Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chiles on them. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. 

That’s it. You'll have a cheesy, slightly spicy queso dip that’s ready for dipping with your favorite tortilla chips. Put it back in the microwave to warm it up if it starts to get cold, or keep it warm in a slow cooker.

Put Your Own Spin on the Velveeta Ro-tel Queso

You can serve this queso as-is with chips, and it’s really good. But Allrecipes readers have several creative ways to switch up this basic queso. Here are some of their ideas:

• According to member Cathy, adding 4 ounces of block cream cheese gives extra creaminess to the dip. 
• This helpful suggestion from member MeeMaw keeps the queso from getting an unappealing top layer as it starts to cool: Blend the Velveeta and Ro-tel in a blender or food processor first.
• Member Gibby likes to give it a thicker, spicier kick by adding cooked ground beef and jalapeños.
• Member Bob Miller spices it up in a different way. He adds some browned sausage and hot sauce, to taste.
• Want to turn it into a chili cheese dip? Member Memphisbelle suggests adding a can of chili with no beans.
• If you really want to take it up a notch, add a can or two of drained premium crab meat, as member Sandie does.
• Several members also said they like the dip thinned out a bit, and adding some milk or cream does the trick to make it the desired consistency.

Between the MLB baseball playoffs happening right now and the regular NFL football season in full swing, it might be smart to keep this back-of-the-box recipe, along with its two simple ingredients, on hand to make a quick queso dip whenever the craving strikes.