Don't Throw Out Leftover Alfredo Sauce, Turn It Into This Dip Instead

Alfredo sauce is a rich, creamy, and perfectly simple pasta sauce favorite. Our easy Alfredo sauce recipe is a traditional blend of cream, butter, garlic powder, and loads of parmesan cheese. While the velvety sauce typically clings to pasta, it could be your secret weapon for making your next queso dip. Its creamy consistency is already thick and decadent enough to be a dip, and its buttery and cheesy profile is essentially an Italianized version of the Tex-Mex favorite.

Queso is a dip with an ingredient list adjacent to Alfredo sauce; we argue that you can make it with three ingredients. You just need white American cheese, milk, and poblano peppers. Alfredo sauce is a blend of cheese and dairy, but the addition of butter will just make your queso dip that much more mouthwatering. Of course, you will need a few extra ingredients to transform the flavor profile from Italian to Southwestern.

To make queso out of leftover Alfredo sauce, you'll need to add a quarter cup of cheddar and a quarter cup of Monterrey Jack cheese to 5 ounces of Alfredo sauce in a pan over medium heat until melted. The combination of sharp, spicy, and nutty cheeses makes for a flavorful queso. For Southwestern flair, you can also add in half a cup of pico de gallo or half a can of Ro-Tel. A spice blend of cumin, chili powder, and onion powder or even a packet of taco seasoning would also do the trick.

While there are plenty of store-bought jarred queso brands, repurposing Alfredo sauce will save you money, while also helping you easily whip up homemade queso that's better than anything you can buy at the store. For that matter, you can also use leftover jars of store-bought sauce. We ranked Alfredo sauce brands to help you find the tastiest option. 

There are plenty of additions and other different types of cheese that will take Alfredo queso to the next level. For example, you can top the dip with a scoop of guacamole or slices of avocado and a scoop of salsa for freshness. Alternatively, bring some heat to your queso with diced jalapenos or chipotle peppers. To turn Alfredo queso into a heartier chili con queso, add in some ready-made chili or ground beef sauteed with taco seasoning. Otherwise, pour the queso over a bowl of black beans or sauteed mushrooms for a heartier vegetarian option.

You can even make a plant-based dip with our vegan Alfredo recipe that uses a mixture of cashews and nutritional yeast — coincidentally, the same combination we use in our vegan queso recipe! For extra flavor, combine the sauce with shredded cheddar or mozzarella from any of your go-to vegan cheese brands in a saucepan, melting until smooth. Then, enjoy Alfredo queso with your favorite brand of tortilla chips.