Turn Basic Broccoli Into The Star Of The Dinner Table With A Tub Of This Popular Dip

Sure, you can toss broccoli in olive oil and a few spices, roast it, then throw it on the dinner table, but why would you? As delicious and simple as roasted broccoli can be, there's a popular dip that can easily give it next-level flavor. So the next time you want your vegetable to steal the show at the dinner table, combine broccoli with store-bought queso dip — and thank us later.

If you're like many people, you might have had broccoli and cheese at dinner from time to time during childhood. It's delicious and comforting, but the best store-bought queso makes the tasty, cheesy side dish even easier. It's only a simple change, but queso will give a cheesy, salty, and sometimes spicy flavor to the notoriously grassy vegetable. The creaminess is also a nice textural contrast to the broccoli, whether you steam, roast, or sauté it. Just as cream of cheddar soup pairs with broccoli, queso dip works in a similar way to amp up the side dish.

You can cook the broccoli with your preferred technique, then simply warm and pour the queso over the broccoli. This is certainly the easiest option if you want to serve it as a side dish. Another option is to roast and chop up the broccoli, then stir it into the queso to serve as a more textured dip with chips or bread for an appetizer. This is the best option for maximum cheesy flavor, while pouring the queso dip on top gives you more control over your broccoli to cheese ratio.

There are a few ingredients you can add to queso dip and broccoli if you want to amp up the flavor further. Stir in freshly grated cheddar for sharpness or Monterey Jack for a mild kick to enhance the cheesiness of the dip before it's combined with the broccoli. Or sauté some onion and garlic to add depth to the store-bought sauce and your dinner guests might think it's homemade rather than from a container. Other canned ingredients like green chilis or pickled jalapeños work if you chop them up and stir them into the queso. You can really get creative with what you already have in the kitchen to enhance the queso before it amps up your broccoli, regardless of whether it's poured on top or the broccoli is stirred into it as a dip.

As usual, Tasting Table has you covered if you need some recipes to let you experience this queso-and-broccoli combination. Swap the store-bought option and try our three-ingredient queso dip that has roasted poblano peppers that will pair well with the broccoli. Or make our smoky white queso dip with chopped broccoli folded into it for more texture and nutrition in an appetizer.