The Conversation
Fall means changing leaves, sweaters, apple cider and mouthwatering pumpkin treats. More importantly, it means football season and most importantly it means (drumroll please) insanely decadent tailgating snacks. While there’s nothing like a giant plate of nachos or juicy chicken wings, there’s just something about a gooey, spicy bowl of queso that gets us every time. It’s the comfort food we dream about long after football season is over. Read on for our creamiest, cheesiest, meltiest queso picks.
1. Classic Slow-Cooker Queso: It doesn’t get more traditional than this. Inspired by Chili’s famous dip, this queso contains Velveeta cheese and canned chili. It’s as tasty as the real deal, and now you can enjoy it on the sofa while cheering on your team. (via Creme de la Crumb)
2. Queso Fundido: If Velveeta isn’t your thing, we’ve still got you covered. This recipe combines three (THREE!) kinds of cheese for ooey, gooey greatness. Score! (via What’s Gaby Cooking)
3. Queso Fundido With Sausage: Meet Queso 2.0. Step up your dipping game by tossing in breakfast sausage or ground meat. We promise nobody will complain. (via Pioneer Woman)
4. Hot Sauce Queso: For those who like a little spice in their life, check out this recipe for an extra hot dip. Simply add in your favorite hot sauce and be sure to have plenty of cold beer on hand to wash it down. (via Brit + Co)
5. Skillet Black Bean Queso: Whether you’re a vegetarian or just looking to pack an extra punch into your queso, this black bean version is here for you. Spoiler alert: This recipe uses cream cheese to make everything extra creamy. We’ve died and gone to queso heaven. (via Peas & Crayons)
6. Chili Queso Dip: Is it chili or queso? Snack or dinner? Whatever it is, you can be sure this combo is totally addictive. It’s definitely a Super Bowl contender. (via Pinch of Yum)
7. Green Chili Sweet Corn Queso: Zippy and fresh, this is the lighter side of queso. If fresh corn isn’t available, you can substitute in thawed frozen corn instead. (via Whole & Heavenly Oven)
8. Vegan Queso: We never thought a vegan “cheese” dip could be so velvety and creamy until we met this one. Eggplant is the star player in this super healthy alternative, and we can’t get enough. This one is also delicious with freshly baked pita chips. (via Minimalist Baker)
9. Creamy Queso With Chorizo: This dip gives you the best of both worlds: super creamy cheese dip matched with spicy savory chorizo sausage. Stock up on ingredients, because your guests will be begging for a second batch by halftime. (via Bon Appétit)
10. Pumpkin Queso Fundido: For the ultimate seasonal treat, take this pumpkin version for a spin. Plus, you have an excuse to add the extra festive touch of serving it in a pumpkin bowl. (via Food Network)
11. Roasted Broccoli and White Cheddar Queso Fundido: If you ever found yourself wishing that broccoli-cheddar bake had just a little more of the cheddar part, then this queso is for you. A generous dose of garlic and shallots gives this dip an extra flavor boost. (via Spoon Fork Bacon)
12. Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Queso: Roast butternut squash until it’s all caramelized, tender and sweet and blend it with tangy goat cheese. Since it’s mostly veggies, you can basically call this dip a salad. Yes, that means it’s totally fine to eat it for dinner. (via How Sweet It Is)
13. Leftover Turkey Queso: Football is the ultimate Thanksgiving tradition. Now this queso can be too with this recipe. In fact, it’s so good that you may find yourself making turkeys all year long. (via Brit + Co)
14. DIY Queso Bar: Can’t decide which one of these delish recipes to prepare for the big game? Let your guests decide! Check out our ideas for a self-serve queso bar. (via Brit + Co)
What are your go-to Sunday football indulgences? We want to hear about them! Tell us in the comments below.
Jessica is a blogger and professional pastry cook in San Francisco. When not whipping up desserts, you can usually find her tackling DIY projects with her husband, entertaining for a crowd, or running around the neighborhood with her rambunctious puppy, Rebel. Jessica believes in using seasonal and wholesome ingredients as much as possible and you can check out more of her recipes at her blog: By Guess And By Golly.
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You can wear many hats running a business and sometimes some look better than others. Thanks to Office Depot, we're talking with Koyun Fan, co-founder of Sticky Rice Sisters, about finding inspiration along the way and staying organized on the road to success.
<p><strong>B+C: What set you on this entrepreneurial path of Sticky Rice Sisters?</strong><br></p><p>One day I was looking for stickers and cards to use to write to kids for a program I volunteer for when I came across Etsy shops selling products I was familiar with, growing up in Taiwan. I always had easy access to cute stickers and stationery, so I thought I should just bring them to the U.S. myself and also share Taiwanese culture with others. I also thought that if others can do it, I can do it too. I had been a marketing professional for many years before starting the store. I was still working full-time when I first started, and thought this could be something fun to work on outside of work. Also, I thought that with my marketing experience, running and promoting a store shouldn't be too hard. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! </p><p><div id="teads-ad"></div>
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</p><p><br></p><p><span></span><strong>B</strong><strong> + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from <a href="https://tryselfmade.com/" target="_blank">Selfmade</a>?</strong></p><p> I've thought about taking a business course or pursuing an MBA previously, but the cost and commitment made it difficult to. When I saw the 10-week-course on Brit's Instagram, I knew it was right for me. Since everything would be online and recorded with unlimited future access, I knew I would have enough time to consume all the information and refer back to it whenever I wanted.</p><p>I had a great experience with all the coaches. They were amazing and super helpful. I learned so much about the different aspects of business, from ideation, to creating new products, operations, legal, finance, marketing and more! I love how the course started with helping us establish the right mindset. The coaches taught us to not limit ourselves. My coach, Naomi Powell, was always challenging us on our beliefs about ourselves and she would tell us to set higher and bigger goals. It is definitely something I always think about now and I have her voice in my head.<br></p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p>All of my classmates were AMAZING. Everyone was so talented and so willing to share. It was truly a community of women who were cheering each other on and rooting for each other. </p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><p><br></p><p><strong>B + C: What's the biggest challenge you face as a small business owner?</strong></p><p>Not knowing if I am doing things "correctly" has definitely been an obstacle. I have tackled this by sending out surveys to our customers and followers asking for their feedback. This is also something Brit would always talk about--we should just ask others what they think instead of guessing. People are pretty good at giving honest and helpful feedback and it really helps with thinking about future plans.</p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><strong>B + C: Who are your role models in the entrepreneurial space?</strong></p><p>Not to sound super cheesy, but I would say it's Brit. She is such a great example of Selfmade. She started the company by herself and continues to innovate and inspire. She always radiates positive energy and in the Selfmade course she made herself available to everyone. She didn't just share what she knows, but also brought in her network to help us. My favorite thing she said is that we are all creative--creativity exists in many different forms!</p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><p><br></p><p><strong>B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?</strong></p><p><strong></strong>You will never be 100 percent ready so just start now and learn and improve as you go. You will make mistakes, things won't go as planned, you might not have customers to start, but you will learn. If you keep waiting for the "right moment," or wait until "you're ready," you have already lost time that you could've used to learn on the job or make mistakes. In the beginning, not a lot of people will know you, so it doesn't matter what you do--you can try anything you want and figure out what works and doesn't. As you start to have more customers and followers, you will start to get better and they will help you, encourage you, and support you. </p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><strong>B + C: What's one female-owned business that you absolutely love and support?</strong></p><p><span></span>There are so many I love and support. To name a few fellow stationery stores: A Jar of Pickles, Occasionallish, AnnSunn, and fellow Selfmade businesses Evening Star Baby, Summer Space Studio, and The Ponnery! They are all amazing women running their own businesses.</p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><p><br></p><p><span></span><strong>B + C: How do you stay motivated?</strong></p><p>I look at stores I want to become. I try not to think of them as competition but as inspirations, so when I see them working hard on their businesses it motivates me to do so as well. I also listen to motivational audio books or podcasts where they interview other business owners like <a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this" target="_blank">How I Built This</a> and <a href="https://www.theskimm.com/skimmd-from-the-couch" target="_blank">Skimm'd from the Couch</a>.</p><p><strong>B + C: How do you stay organized? What tools or apps help you stay productive?</strong></p><p>I think I'm a very organized person. I use Dropbox for photos and Google Docs for everything else. My tip would be to always name your files and have a system for it so it's easy to search and find easily when you need them.</p><p><div class="htlad-contentbanner"></div></p><p><em>We're inspired! Thanks Koyun for sharing your story and your organizing tips! You can find Sticky Rice Sisters at <a href="http://sticyricesisters.com/" target="_blank">SticyRiceSisters.com</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stickyricesisters/" target="_blank">@StickyRiceSisters</a>, or email at koyun@stickyricesisters.com.</em></p><p><strong><em>Office Depot OfficeMax has the solutions to help you <a href="https://www.officedepot.com/cm/marketing/save-time-and-organize?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=uf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_engt_aq&utm_content=org_na&utm_term=eff" target="_blank">organize & save time</a> & create the <a href="https://www.officedepot.com/cm/multi-category/work-from-home?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=uf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_engt_aq&utm_content=wfa_na&utm_term=pro" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">perfect workspace</a> to help craft your story. From <a href="https://www.officedepot.com/a/browse/tul/N=5+971469?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=uf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_engt_aq&utm_content=org_na&utm_term=eff" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">journals</a> to , Office Depot OfficeMax is your go-to for all business solutions.</em></strong> <em><em><strong></strong></em></em></p><p><em><em><strong><em><em>Head to </em><em><a href="https://www.officedepot.com/cm/marketing/selfmade-promo?cm_mmc=bl-_-aq-_-url-_-bc&cm_mmca1=earned&cm_mmca2=lf&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc_sm_url_earned_prch_aq&utm_content=tea_na&utm_term=tea" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Office Depot's Selfmade page</a></em><em> to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last.</em></em></strong></em></em></p>
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