This article features my simple gluten-free queso recipe that I paired with my family movie night snack board. This post is sponsored by Crunchmaster and contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
With summer break coming to an end, I’m looking for ways to squeeze in a few last bits of family time with my kids before they’re bogged down with oodles of school activities and nightly homework. One of my favorite things to do with my family is curl up on the couch and watch a great movie or TV series.
There are so many great movies and TV shows to watch of late; it’s been hard to settle in on one the entire family will love. So far this year we’ve binged-watched the entire Marvel movie collection on Disney+, every single episode of Friends and The Office, and we’re halfway through Manifest on Netflix (we’re hoping Netflix picks up the show for another season).
And nothing completes a great family movie night like having great snacks within an arm’s reach to all.
Today I want to share with you how I made the following Family Movie Night Snack Board featuring delicious movie-theatre snacks, salty Crunchmaster crackers, and a homemade queso dip recipe that completes the snack board theme and delivers on cheesy goodness!
How to Make Gluten-Free Queso
You’ll want to make your homemade gluten-free queso ahead of time in preparation for family movie night. To make a cheesy queso dip, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
The queso dip comes together in just a few minutes. Simply follow these step-by-step instructions:
1. Add the avocado oil to a saucepan over medium heat, then add the diced yellow onion and jalapeño to the pan. Stir and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
2. Add 1 ¼ cups of the milk to the saucepan and heat until just about simmering, being sure not to bring it to a boil. With the remaining ¼ cup milk, mix it together with the cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
3. Add the cornstarch slurry, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper. Whisk 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat.
4. Add the cheddar cheese and mix the queso dip until smooth. Reserve ¼ cup of the diced tomato and green chile mixture for serving and add in the remaining diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Top the finished queso with the reserved diced tomatoes and serve immediately.
This is what the final queso dip looks like when done and topped with the reserved tomatoes:
How to Assemble a Movie Night Snack Board
You’ll need a few fun snacks to go along with the queso dip, and one of my favorite snacks for dipping in the queso are Crunchmaster crackers.
These crackers are salty and crunchy, and they hold up well in the warm queso dip. It’s truly a perfect pair! I also like to serve my queso with fresh cucumber slices, which work well when dipped in the cheesy sauce too.
To complete my Family Movie Night Snack Board, I also made some gluten-free pigs in a blanket (many stores carry gluten-free puff pastry – check if your local grocery stores carry it). If you can’t find gluten-free puff pastry, you can just serve mini hot dogs with toothpicks.
Of course, don’t forget to add some sweet movie theater treats to the snack board. My favorites include gummy bears, Milk Duds, M&Ms, caramel popcorn and regular popcorn. The kids go crazy for the variety, and we all have fun munching on both the sweet and salty flavors all while enjoying some quiet family time at home.
This family movie night snack board will give you all the feels. It’s got warm gluten-free queso dip, crunchy Crunchmaster crackers and cucumber slices, delicious pigs in a blanket, and plenty of fabulous movie theater sweet treats to boot.
Now that you have the snack board ready, the biggest hurdle remains agreeing on what to watch. Good luck!
PS: You can purchase Crunchmaster crackers at most grocery stores nationwide including Kroger, Safeway/Albertsons, Walmart, Target, Costco and even select Walgreens. Use the Crunchmaster store locator to find a store near you or simply order some on Amazon.
Gluten-Free Queso
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk divided
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 12 oz cheddar cheese mild, shredded
- 10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies drained
- 1 bag Crunchmaster crackers choice flavor
Instructions
- Add the avocado oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then add the diced yellow onion and jalapeño to the pan. Stir and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add 1 ¼ cups of the milk to the saucepan and heat until just about simmering, being sure not to bring it to a boil. With the remaining ¼ cup milk, mix it together with the cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
- Once the milk and onion mixture is hot, add the cornstarch slurry, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper. Whisk 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Add the cheddar cheese and mix until smooth.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the diced tomato and green chile mixture for serving. Add the remaining diced tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Top with reserved diced tomatoes and serve immediately with Crunchmaster crackers.
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