2tablespoonsjalapeno juice, from a jar of pickled jalapenos
salt, to taste
1jalapeno, sliced (optional)
Instructions
Add chicken broth and sour cream to a large saucepan on medium heat; combine with whisk or fork
½ cup chicken broth, 1 cup sour cream
Add shredded cheese to mixture in handful increments: stir until cheese melts
12 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
Remove from heat and whisk in jalapeno juice (or vinegar);continue to stir
2 tablespoons jalapeno juice
If you want a thicker sauce, make a cornstarch slurry: ( combine ¼ cup cornstarch and 1 cup water: mix well); pour half of this slurry into the cheese mixture; turn the heat up a little and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until sauce begins to thicken
1 cup water, ¼ cup corn starch
Let the sauce cool a little; if you want it thicker, put the pan back on the heat, add the remaining slurry; turn the heat up a little; stir and remove from heat and allow to cool a bit
Add salt to taste and serve; garnish with sliced jalapeno
salt, 1 jalapeno
Video
Notes
IMPORTANT:Be sure to remove the sauce from the heat when you add the jalapeno juice. After you've added the cheese and jalapeno juice, if you want it thicker, make the slurry and follow these instructions:Why? The sauce thickens when it starts to cool; by working in steps and removing the pan from the stove, you can a better idea of the texture and thickness of the sauce. Cornstarch thickens at a higher heat, if you're gonna add a thickening slurry, turn the heat up a little.
Add half of the slurry; turn the heat up a little and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes; remove pan from heat and continue to stir.
Sauce will thicken slightly. If you want it thicker, repeat this step using the other half of the slurry. (Put the pan back on the stove burner; add remaining slurry; stir 1-2 minutes; remove from heat; stir)
If you want it thinner, whisk in a little more broth on low heat
This sauce goes great over enchiladas or tamales because of the jalapeno juice. If you want a more universal flavor, substitute the jalapeno juice with either white vinegar or lemon juice. If you make this in advance, you may need to add a little water when you re-heat itA Note about the serving size:The nutritional estimate is based on 1 cup.It is highly unlikely anyone would consume 1 cup, so divide the nutrition info by 2 for ½ cup serving or 4 for ¼ cup serving.