The Queso Blanco Burger You’ll Want to Grill July 4th

This super-juicy queso blanco burger adds a lot of Latino love to Americans’ go-to grilling staple. But because she adds a Latino twist to everything she cooks, this July 4th one of our favorite Dominican homecooks, Belqui Millilli-Ortiz of food blog Belqui’s Twist fame, is spicing up her fireworks feast with this delicioso recipe starring white cheese dip and mucho seasoning.

“I will make these burgers, plus: ribs, potato salad, rice, and I’m still debating on what else,” she says. True to her Latino roots, this Arizona-based cocinera will spice up each burger with her spicy dip made with white cheese, a dash or two of  Casa M Spice Co.’s Chain Reaction spice blend, whole milk, and optional diced tomatoes, scallions and diced jalapeños—or whatever fresh chile she happens to have in her fridge.

Belqui’s choice of chile may vary, but her non-negotiable ingredient is sprinkling Casa M spice blend Cattle Drive over both sides of each burger, she says. Hand-crafted with black pepper, onion, and other secret spices in its proprietary formula, this mix of spices is designed to bring out the natural flavors of beef. Plus: It is low-salt, made with all-natural ingredients, and adds a light touch of sugar that helps form a bark that caramelizes as the beef patty sizzles on the grill.

If you need to stock up your spice cabinet, Casa M Spice Co. is extending through July 4^th week its special offer for the Familia Kitchen and Belqui’s Twist community of homecooks and home grillers. Enter the code CDSAVE20 when you order Casa M’s Cattle Drive spice blend for beef—and save 20%.

In addition to her bold spicing strategy, it’s all about using this white cheese dip instead of the expected slice of melted queso, says Belqui. ”The queso dip gives it a great extra kick.”

When Belqui spoons the cheese over the just-grilled patties, everyone gets hamburger happy, Belqui reports. Especially her two sons. ”My kids just love them. We make some type of burger every Friday, pretty much. And living in Arizona, we are able to grill every weekend of the year if we want to—so it is perfect.”

One final Belqui burger tip: The secret to a killer hamburguesa is the shape of the patty, she says. She advises pressing ¼ pound of ground beef into 4-inch circles that are slightly smushed on the top and bottom—think: more disc than orb. ”I love a juicy patty that isn’t too thick. Because you really want to be able to bite into the burger in one shot, and get all the ingredients in your mouth. And what I really love about this particular recipe is how the queso topping is wet, almost like ketchup or mustard, so that it rolls down the sides of the grilled beef with every bite. I love the idea that it provides each patty with even more flavor and juiciness.”

Si, porfavor.

Tienes hambre, yet? Us too. Here’s to your own festive July 4^th gathering. If you’re the host, we got you covered with this Latino-style burger. Because: spice is nice, and queso is king. All you have to do is stir up a batch of the creamy cheese dip, fire up the grill, and invite your crew over for a delicioso burger fest they’ll remember a long, long time, Belqui promises.

Ready to Bite into This Juicy Queso Blanco Burger?

The Burger With Queso Blanco You’ll Want to Grill July 4th

Recipe by Belqui Ortiz-Millili Cuisine: Everywhere Latino

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• For the Queso Blanco Dip

• 1 Tbsp 1  unsalted butter

• 1 Tbsp 1 all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup 1/2 whole milk

• 1/4 tsp 1/4 Casa M Spice Co. Chain Reaction seasoning

• 8 oz 8 Monterrey jack cheese

• 15 oz 15 queso blanco dip, store-bought

• 2 2 optional: scallions, chopped, to garnish dip

• 1 1 optional garnish: Roma tomato, chopped

• 1 Tbsp 1 optional garnish: jalapeño, diced, seeded

• 1 Tbsp 1 optional garnish: cilantro, chopped

• For the Beef Patties

• 2 lbs 2 ground beef, 80% lean/20% fat

• 3 to 4 Tbsp 3 to 4 Casa M Spice Co Cattle Drive® seasoning

• 1 head 1 lettuce, washed, leaves separated

• 3 to 4 3 to 4 tomatoes, sliced into 8 thick slices

• 1 1 red onion, sliced into 8 slices

• 1 cup 1 queso blanco dip

• 8 8 burger buns (Belqui recommends with sesame seeds)

Directions

• Make the Queso Blanco Dip
• In an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter and melt.
• Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Lower heat to low. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened, less than a minute.
• Add the Monterey jack cheese and the queso blanco dip. Stir well and cook until it starts to melt.
• Stir in Casa M Spice Co Chain Reaction spice blend. Let the cheese continue to melt.
• Once the cheese has fully melted (it will be a bit stringy), remove from heat and keep warm until you are ready to spoon over your burger and/or serve as a dip.
• Make Your Burgers
• Shape the ground beef into 8 patties, using ¼ lb for each. Pat the top section so that each burger is slightly flattened.
• Season the patties with Casa M Spice Cattle Drive spice blend on both sides. Let sit for about 15 minutes.
• Prep the garnishes: wash the lettuce and separate the leaves. Wash and slice the onions and tomatoes.
• Preheat the grill. You want the temperature to be around medium-high to high heat, which is around 375° to 400°.
• Place the patties on the grill and cook according to preference:
  Recommended grilling times:
  • Rare: 5–6 minutes
  • Medium-rare: 6-7 minutes
  • Medium: 8–9 minutes
  • Medium-well to well-done: 9+ minutes
• If you like your burger bread toasted, place the buns on the grill until they turn golden-brown, 30 to 45 seconds per side.
• Time to build your queso blanco burger! Garnish each bottom bun with lettuce, 1 slice of tomato, and 1 slice of red onion. Place the patty on top of the onion. Spoon about 2 Tbsp of queso dip on each grilled burger, or to taste. Serve the remaining queso blanco dip—very hot and garnished with scallions, sliced jalapeños, diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro— as a side, with tortilla chips. Go 4th and feast!

Notes

• Remember that all grills heat differently and that where you live and the weather can affect the cooking temperatures, as well. Adjust burger-grilling times accordingly, says Belqui.