Gabriella's Skillet Queso With Lifespace Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients for Gabriella's Homemade Cast Iron Skillet Queso:

• 1.5lb Ground beef (Any kind)
• 2x packs of white American cheese slices (Adjust for taste)
• Milk (+- 1 cup)
• Heavy whipping cream (+- 1/2 cup)
• 1x can of original/mild/or hot Rotel
• Beef seasonings of choice (My choices: Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, Paprika, Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning, Onion powder, Italian herbs mix)
• Paprika again for seasoning the queso 
• 1x Maggies chicken stock cube
• Tortilla chips to serve (or your choice of crackers/chips)

Steps for Gabriella's Homemade Cast Iron Skillet Queso:

1. Empty contents of ground beef packet into skillet on medium heat. Season your ground beef generously with your seasonings of choice and cook thoroughly until most of the moisture/liquid is gone and ground beef begins to form a slight crust. 
2. Take ground beef off the heat for a few minutes and pour a small amount of milk (2-4 tablespoons) into your cooked ground beef. Stir. Put back onto the stove on low heat to warm mixture to prep for melting cheese. 
3. Keep mixture on low heat and slowly begin adding cheese slices. Breaking the cheese slices into smaller pieces helps speed up the process. Ensure your previous cheese is stirred in and melted before adding more cheese. 
4. As your mixture begins to thicken, add small amounts of milk to ensure your cheese does not stick to the bottom and burn. 
5. Keep adding cheese slices and small amounts of milk until you begin to like your consistency. From here, add your heavy cream and mix in more cheese slices until consistency is perfect. 
6. Once your queso is at your preferred consistency, add your can of Rotel, or chop your own fresh green chilis and tomato prior to making your queso. 
7. Heat and stir until your queso is at a consistent temperature throughout.

Serving Suggestion for Gabriella's Homemade Cast Iron Skillet Queso:

Serve hot or warm for a perfect balance of creaminess and crunch. Pair with your favorite lightly salted chip or cracker. My recommendation is fresh tortilla chips.