Recipes & Food Styling

Honey is the magic ingredient in Cheever’s Cafe’s addictive Juan’s Queso Dip! 

From May to December 2013, I worked in Oklahoma City, helping with FEMA as the very special community there worked on recovery from 2 EF-5 (250 mph winds) tornadoes. I was the strategic communications lead. Our team was there following the first EF-5 tornado, and we surviced the second EF-5 tornado together two weeks later. We were so dedicated that we got out our daily talking points on time the day after the tornado. It was quite an amazing group of researchers and writers.

Obviously, comfort food was on my radar, and it wasn’t long at all before I became obsessed with Cheever’s Cafe. ALL of the food there is absolutely phenomenal, but the one menu item that I had to have every time was Juan’s Queso Dip. It’s a black bean-y, melted cheese casserole with tangy salsa and salsa verde. Thin slices of watery tomatoes and avocado melt into the dip. It’s sensational. It sounds like a pretty standard Mexican dip, right? But there is something magical about it.

Lucky for me, the kind crew at Cheever’s answers their phone and shares recipes. I called to ask about the recipe for Juan’s Queso Dip so I could make it today for a special Cinco de Mayo dinner. The secret ingredient, I learned, is: HONEY! Here is the recipe:

Cheever’s Juan’s Queso Dip

(From Cheever’s Café, OKC)                                                             

20 ounces (1 1/2 cans) black beans, drained and rinsed in cold water

1/4 cup honey

2 large vine-ripened tomatoes

1/2 Chihuahua cheese, grated

1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese, grated

1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup pico de gallo

1/4 cup salsa verde (Cholula mild is the perfect flavor for this)

1/4 cup pico de gallo

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a food processor, pulse the black beans and honey until smooth. Roll the bean paste into 1-inch balls. Arrange the balls, evenly spaced apart, in a 9-inch round pie plate.

Top with sliced tomatoes. Spread the cheese over the top, evenly.

Bake until bubbly and browned around the edges.

Remove from the oven, and top with avocado, salsa verde, and pico de gallo.