There are a few things that just make sense at the ranch: a cast iron skillet, something warm over the fire, and a crowd gathered close enough to “taste test” before it’s ready.
During our week at High Creek Ranch in Cripple Creek, Colorado, we were out shooting photos, chasing good light, and cooking easy meals that fit the pace of the place. One of the favorites from the trip was this Jalapeño Skillet Queso, made with candied jalapeños from our sister store, Lock, Stock and Barrel.
It’s creamy, smoky, a little sweet, a little spicy, and exactly the kind of thing you want sitting in the middle of the table after a long day outside. We made ours in a cast iron skillet and served it straight out of the pan with tortilla chips. Nothing fancy. Just good.
Jalapeño Skillet Queso
This skillet queso is made with melted cheese, breakfast sausage, pepper jack, and Lock, Stock and Barrel Candied Jalapeños. The jalapeños bring just enough sweet heat to make it a little different from your usual queso, without making it complicated.
It works just as well for a ranch weekend as it does for game day, a tailgate, a camping trip, or a night on the back porch.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Velveeta or white American cheese, cubed
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1/2 lb cooked breakfast sausage, crumbled
- 1/3 cup Lock, Stock and Barrel Candied Jalapeños, chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons juice from the candied jalapeño jar, optional for extra sweet heat
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
1. Cook the sausage
Brown the breakfast sausage in a cast iron skillet until it is fully cooked. Drain off any extra grease if needed.
2. Add the cheese
Reduce the heat to low. Add the Velveeta or white American cheese, shredded pepper jack, and evaporated milk to the skillet.
3. Melt it low and slow
Keep the skillet over low heat and stir often while the cheese melts. If you are cooking over a campfire, avoid direct flames. Cast iron holds heat well, so a little goes a long way.
4. Add the sweet heat
Stir in the chopped Lock, Stock and Barrel Candied Jalapeños. Add a splash of the jalapeño juice from the jar if you want a little more flavor and heat.
5. Serve warm
Once the queso is smooth, creamy, and fully melted, serve it right out of the skillet with tortilla chips.
Campfire Cooking Tip
Keep the skillet over low, indirect heat instead of placing it over direct flames. Queso can scorch quickly on the bottom, especially in cast iron. Stir often and move the skillet around as needed to keep the heat gentle.
Ways to Serve It
This queso is hard to beat with a bag of tortilla chips, but it’s also good with Fritos, toasted bread, or spooned over burgers, hot dogs, breakfast tacos, or campfire nachos.
Why We Loved It
This was one of those recipes that fit the whole week. Easy to make, easy to share, and good enough that people kept coming back for another chip.
The Lock, Stock and Barrel Candied Jalapeños gave it that sweet-and-spicy kick that made it feel a little more special, while still being simple enough to make outside, at the ranch, or wherever the weekend takes you.
Whether you’re cooking at camp, feeding a crew on game day, or just looking for a good skillet appetizer, this Jalapeño Skillet Queso is one worth keeping around.
