Chopped Cheese(burger) Queso with Garlic Hoagie Toasts

Chopped Cheese(burger) Queso with Garlic Hoagie Toasts

Alyse Whitney

Prep Time: Goldilocks Dip (45 minutes or less)
Serves: A Big Dip Party (8 to 10)

There’s nothing better than melted cheese. The chopped cheese sandwich is legendary in New York City, where I spent the end of my twenties mere blocks from its alleged originator, Blue Sky Deli (formerly Hajji’s) at 110th and First Avenue. A cross between a burger and a cheesesteak, the sandwich is ground beef chopped up on the grill and blanketed with American cheese. It is then slid into a hoagie roll—or sub roll, depending where you’re from—with ketchup, mustard, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, mayonnaise, pickles, and onion by request. This sandwich has fueled a lot of my post-karaoke shenanigans in my past, but this queso version can either be a hangover cure or hangover fuel, when paired with too many margaritas.

The dip base here was inspired by my Texan friend Allison Tolman, who uses a combination of cream cheese and American cheese for ultra-melty creaminess in her original queso. The beef, enhanced by garlic and (red) onion, gets coated in a sweet-and-tangy sauce of ketchup and mustard (similar to a Sloppy Joe), which caramelizes on the meat. If you wanted to get wild, you could dip or smother fries in this mixture, or even thin it out with some milk, add cooked potatoes, and make a truly decadent soup. Jussayin’.

INGREDIENTS

GARLIC BUTTER HOAGIE TOASTS WITH THE MOST

  • ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • 3 hoagie rolls, cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 30)

CHOPPED CHEESE, PLEASE

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 pound American cheese, cubed or sliced

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola

  • 1 small red onion, minced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 15 cranks of black pepper, or more if you like it spicier

  • ¼ cup ketchup

  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

  • 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce (go ahead, buy the pre-shredded bag!)

  • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

  • Pickles, if you’re into that (I’m not)

Watch me make dip happen with Kelly Clarkson on the 6.18.25 episode on NBC/Peacock or YouTube!

DIRECTIONS

GARLIC BUTTER HOAGIE TOASTS WITH THE MOST

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk in the garlic powder. Arrange the hoagie slices on a sheet pan and brush the garlic butter on just the tops. (It will taste the same, and this saves time and annoyance.) Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway through, until lightly golden brown. Let the toasts cool slightly, then transfer to a platter while you make the queso.

CHOPPED CHEESE, PLEASE

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the cheeses. Stir continuously until the mixture is melted and smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Don’t walk away or it can scorch on the bottom! Transfer to a slow cooker on low or reduce the heat to the lowest setting possible and cover with a lid to keep warm.

4. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and just starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until just aromatic, about 1 minute. Season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Transfer the onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside.

5. Wipe out the skillet and heat it over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. (This will help quickly develop a golden-brown crust on the ground beef!) Add the ground beef to the pan—without any additional oil!—and press it into an even layer with a spatula. Let cook undipsturbed for 5 minutes, then season with the remaining 1¼ teaspoons of the salt and the pepper (crank on more pepper if you like). Break the ground beef into large pieces, flip them over in the pan, and let sear on the other side for about 3 more minutes, until a bottom crust has developed. Break up the pieces even further, to large crumbles, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown all around. If there’s excessive grease, remove it with a spoon or carefully soak it up with a wadded-up paper towel held with tongs, then discard it.

6. Add the reserved cooked onion and garlic, the ketchup, and mustard to the ground beef mixture and stir until well combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.

7. To serve, pile the ground beef mixture on top of the finished queso. (If you are feeding any vegetarians, serve the meat on the side in a bowl!) Serve with the lettuce, tomatoes, optional pickles, Garlic Butter Hoagie Toasts, and/or tortilla chips. You can make little crostini with everything piled together, or dip chips and add toppings as you go. Dipper’s choice!

MODIPFICATIONS: If you don’t eat beef, you can try ground turkey or a plant-based ground meat, but add extra oil when cooking.

DIPPER MATRIX

HOMEMADE (RECIPES IN BIG DIP ENERGY)

  • Garlic Butter Hoagie Toasts, page 90

  • Potato Skinny Dippers, page 219

  • Roulette Charred Peppers, page 216


STORE-BOUGHT IS FRAN FINE

  • Tortilla chips, especially Tostitos Scoops

  • Fritos Scoops, or another corn chip

  • Funyuns

  • Potato chips, preferably ridged like Ruffles

  • French fries, Tater Tots, or your favorite crispy potatoes

FAQ

CAN IT BE MADE IN ADVANCE? Yes. To reheat, warm the dip up in a 350°F oven (for about 15 minutes), in the microwave (for 3 to 5minutes), or in a slow cooker on low (for at least an hour, then switch to the warm setting).

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Up to 5 days in the fridge in a covered container.