This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.

Dipping and drizzling roasted Creamer potatoes in a spicy vegan queso makes for a lovely appetizer that’s perfect for parties and game days. This simple but hearty vegan appetizer is ready in 30 minutes.

Little potatoes are a welcome addition to any get-together where packaged snacks, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages tend to be a focus. They’re a nutritious whole food vehicle for the rich and creamy vegan queso and a heartier alternative to tortilla chips.

For this recipe we’ll keep it simple and let the earthy flavour and creamy texture of Little potatoes shine. Halve your favourite varietal of Little potatoes (see them all on their Products page), toss them with olive oil and sea salt, and roast them for 25 minutes. Stunning varietals such as Blushing Belle, Something Blue, or Terrific Trio will offer a pop of colour and striking contrast against the queso.

Making Vegan “Queso”

The vegan queso is smooth and silky with flecks of spicy jalapeño. It’s perfect for drizzling or dipping roasted Creamer potatoes. A truly loaded vegan queso is great too! But all those diced ingredients make it difficult to drizzle. And if you’re dipping, they’ll roll right off those round Little potatoes! A smooth and silky vegan queso works best here.

A few tweaks turn your cashew-based queso into something more mysterious. A weak roux, vegan butter and cheese, non-dairy milk, and pickled jalapeño brine softens the cashew’s nutty flavour while enhancing their creamy texture.

The vegan queso is ready in 15 minutes or less. You’ll need to use a blender and a saucepan but they pay off is well worth it. Sauté onion and garlic in vegan butter until fragrant and translucent. After that, transfer the onion and garlic to a blender. Add the non-dairy milk, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and salt. Blend on “high” for an ultra smooth and silky consistency. Add the pickled jalapeños and juice, and blitz briefly to chop them up.

Going back to the pot that you sautéed in, heat remaining butter and whisk in a little flour to make a roux. Slowly whisk the blended mixture into the roux. Add the cheese and stir constantly until melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning to suit your preference.

Pickled jalapeños and their brine add a spicy kick and a punch of acidity. For a spicy queso, choose any jar of hot jalapeños. For something with subtle heat, look for “tamed” pickled jalapeños.

How to Serve Vegan Queso and Roasted Creamer Potatoes

You can serve this Little potato and vegan queso appetizer in two ways. Choose whichever suits the guests and occasion better! Serve the potatoes plated, drizzled with queso, and sprinkled with fresh chives or cilantro for garnish. Or serve them fondue-style with skewers or appetizer forks and a dish of vegan queso for dipping. If you happen to have a fondue pot, this is a great time to use it. Serve the vegan queso hot and keep it warm for best texture.

More Vegan Potato Appetizers

You might enjoy our Crispy Potatoes with Garlic Lemon Avocado Aioli, Crispy Potatoes with Vegan Ranch, Vegan Double-Stuffed Buffalo Ranch Potatoes, Spicy Nacho Potato Bites, or Two-Bite Vegan Baked Potatoes!

This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.

We love them for their commitment to simple, healthy whole foods like their delicious Creamer potatoes. Thanks for supporting the brands that support I Love Vegan!Head over to Littlepotatoes.com for hundreds of great recipes, lots of Little potato love, and a super handy store locator for Where to Buy!

Vegan Chile con Queso Potatoes

Author: Brittany Mueller
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Category: Appetizer
Method: Roasting, Blending
Cuisine: Vegan

Description

Roasted Creamer potatoes served with a rich and cheesy jalapeño vegan “queso”. The vegan cashew queso is smooth and silky. Ready in 30 minutes!

Ingredients

Roasted Little potatoes:

1 (1.5-pound) (680 g) bag Blushing Belle Little Potatoes, halved
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
½ tsp (2.5 ml) sea salt

Vegan Chile con “Queso”:

¼ cup (60 ml) vegan butter, divided
¼ onion (50 g), chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ¾ cups (435 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 cup (135 grams) raw cashews
½ cup (125 ml) water
3 tbsp (15 g) nutritional yeast
½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
⅓ cup (125 ml) *pickled jalapeños and liquid (see note)
1 tbsp (15 ml) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (67 g) vegan cheese

Instructions

Roasted Little potatoes:

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
In a large bowl, stir together halved Little potatoes, olive oil, and sea salt.
Spread seasoned Little potatoes on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until Little potatoes and tender and golden-brown.

Vegan Chile con “Queso”:

In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of vegan butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and fragrant but not browned.
Transfer the sautéed onions, garlic, and butter into a blender. Add non-dairy milk, cashews, water, nutritional yeast, and salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Add the pickled jalapeños and brine to the blended mixture. Pulse to chop the jalapeños. Do not over blend.
In the saucepan used in step one, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of vegan butter over medium heat. Whisk in 1 tbsp of flour to make a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk the blended cashew mixture into the roux.
Add the vegan cheese to the sauce and whisk until melted.
Taste and adjust seasoning. If needed, adjust consistency with a splash of water or non-dairy milk.

Notes

*Choosing pickled jalapeños: For a mild vegan queso, look for “tamed” pickled jalapeños. (Optional: increase “tamed” jalapeños and liquid to ½ cup.)

To make loaded vegan queso, add a can of Ro*Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies after melting the cheese.

Nutrition information is for ⅙ of the potatoes (approx. 10 pieces) and ¼ cup of vegan queso.

Vegan queso recipe makes 3 ⅓ cups. Refrigerate leftover vegan queso for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat and add a splash of non-dairy milk or water to thin (if needed).

Keywords: vegan queso, roasted potatoes