The Conversation
We have been selected by ConAgra Foods to be spokespeople for Velveeta and Ro*tel. While we have been compensated for our time, our opinions are our own.
Having three native Texans on staff here at Brit + Co., we have a special place in our hearts for queso. And to be clear, not just any queso. The only real queso out there is made using just two ingredients: Velveeta and Ro*tel. Don’t be fooled by any impersonators! That’s why when Velveeta and Ro*tel reached out to us to kick up the traditional queso recipe, we jumped right on board.
Now as much as we love the classic, we can’t help but get creative with our recipes sometimes. So without further ado, here are three new ways to add a little kick to your queso, plus six of our favorite queso recipes from around the web.
Basic Queso: We’ll start things off with a basic recipe, so you know what the traditional version looks like.
Ingredients:
– 1 16 oz. package Velveeta
– 1 12 oz. can Ro*tel
Chop Velveeta into half-inch cubes and place into a crockpot turned to high. Add Ro*tel and heat until smooth and creamy, stirring every 15 minutes. (Tip: No crockpot? No problem. You can hack this recipe using the microwave. Just heat Velveeta on high for 2 minutes, stir, then heat for an additional 30 seconds before stirring again. Repeat this 30-second process until your cheese is fully melted. Just be sure not to burn it!)
Cilantro Lime Queso: Next up, a version that would go perfectly with a margarita on the rocks. Who can resist that?
Ingredients:
– 1 16 oz. package Velveeta
– 1 12 oz. can Ro*tel
– 4 ounces cream cheese
– 1 handful cilantro
– ¼ cup green onions, chopped
– ½ jalapeno, seeded and chopped
– Zest of one lime
Follow the recipe for basic queso and stir in cream cheese, heating as necessary until melted. In a small food processor, blend together cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, and zest from one lime. Add cilantro pesto to queso, stirring until combined. Serve with a dollop of cilantro pesto on top.
Chipotle Bacon Queso: How can we leave bacon out of the mix? That would be very un-Brit + Co. of us, wouldn’t it? Pro tip: this queso brings all the boys to the yard :)
Ingredients:
– 1 16 oz. package Velveeta
– 1 12 oz. can Ro*tel
– ½ cup bacon, chopped
– 1 can (7 oz.) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Follow the recipe for basic queso. In a small pan, cook bacon until crispy. Separately, open the can of chipotle peppers and remove the seeds from each pepper. Finely chop and add to queso with bacon, stirring until combined. Serve topped with chopped chipotles and bacon.
Cajun Crawfish Queso: This gumbo-inspired recipe packs a serious punch. Bookmark this one for Mardi Gras, or any occasion when you’re feeling extra saucy.
Ingredients:
– 1 16 oz. package Velveeta
– 1 12 oz. can Ro*tel
– 4 ounces cream cheese
– ½ green bell pepper, chopped
– ¼ cup green onions, chopped
– 1 cup crawfish tails or frozen langoustines (found at Trader Joe’s), thawed
– ½ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s or other cajun seasoning
Follow the recipe for basic queso and stir in cream cheese, heating as necessary until melted. In a small pan, cook green bell pepper for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add green onions and crawfish tails and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Toss with cajun seasoning and then stir into queso. Serve with some of the cooked cajun mixture sprinkled on top.
So beyond creating our own new recipes for queso, we love scouring the web for new ideas. Here are six of our favorites from around the web.
1. Creamy Sausage Queso Dip: For a little more heft in your queso, protein it up by adding sausage. We also love the addition of cream cheese and sour cream in this one, creating more of a creamy taste overall. (via CopyKat)
2. Spinach Queso Dip: We love us a good spinach dip, so why should the queso department be any exception? The genius move? They used frozen spinach artichoke dip to make for a ridiculously delicious mix. (via Plain Chicken)
3. Very Creamy Cheese Dip: Cream of mushroom soup turns this ridiculously creamy dip all the way to 11. (via Yummly)
4. King Ranch Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese: After all, Velveeta did earn its fame from being a go-to comfort food classic in the form of mac ‘n cheese. This recipe combines two of our faces, and adds a little chicken in for good measure. (via Stirring the Pot)
5. Velveeta and Rotel Baked Chicken Pasta: This scrumptious number incorporates panko bread crumbs, lots of fresh veggies, and good ol’ Ro*Tel and Velveeta. We’re in, if only for that crusty cheesy topping! (via A Southern Fairytale)
6. Velveeta Chicken Spaghetti: Apparently, Velveeta and chicken go together like peas and carrots. We love all the fresh ingredients in the mix of this one. (via Cully’s Kitchen)
We have been selected by ConAgra Foods to be spokespeople for Velveeta and Ro*tel. While we have been compensated for our time, our opinions are our own.
Have you ever made queso? Got any homespun recipes we should try out? Talk to us in the comments below.
More From DIY Recipes
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
You X Ventures for Unsplash
Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures