Ever get invited to a birthday party, or any kind of party for that matter, where every guest is supposed to bring along an appetizer and a bottle of wine? Of course you have. Sometimes we take the easy route, and just grab something that is already made from the local deli counter, or do a quick-and-dirty version of something that includes pre-packaged ingredients. But, hey, we were invited to our friend Meredith’s 30th birthday bash, and seeing as she’s a Foodie and a part of our dinner club, I couldn’t bring myself to take the path of laziness. But what to make? Whenever we are lucky enough to go out for Tapas, we always get an order of Queso Fundido, which is typically served in a little pot with various things to dip into the melted cheese. If you don’t know what Queso Fundido is, it is like Fondue, but Spanish style. We’ve had it before with Chorizo sausage in it, and always enjoyed that combination… so…. I was now on a mission. I’ve never attempted to make this before, so I had 2 choices: fly by the seat of my pants, or do a little research. I chose to do a little of both, which typically works well for my cooking style. I did some research, which only proved to verify the base recipe that was already in my head, yet many of the recipes had a common ingredient that I typically would not have thought of. No, not Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup! But it was close - Velveeta Cheese. Yech! You know, that unrefrigerated brick of bright yellow, gelatinous, foil wrapped cheese that you see in the supermarket. Or that you may have enjoyed in gooey grilled cheese sandwiches as a child. As it turns out, adding a small quantity of said Velveeta aids in giving the Queso Fundido a smooth texture. So off to the store I went. Here is what I put in the Queso Fundido:
- 1 & 1/2 bottles of Modelo Mexican beer (the light lager, not the dark stuff)
- 1 dried Chipotle pepper, finely diced
- 1 tsp Sweet Paprika
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp dried Cilantro
- 1 tsp dried Red Pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup White Onion, minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Green Onions, chopped
- 2 Anaheim Chiles, roasted, skin and seeds removed, diced
- 2 Spanish Chorizo Sausages, about 1/4 lb, diced
- 2 lb block of Tillamook brand Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/4 of a brick of Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
- 2 tbs flour, mixed with cold water into a paste
Using a saucepan, I first sauteed the Onion and Garlic in a little olive oil. Removed the Onion and Garlic from the pan. Browned the diced Chorizo (to remove the grease). Drained the Chorizo on paper towels to remove as much of that nasty red grease as possible. Wiped out the pan with a paper towel, deglazed with the beer. Brought the beer to a simmer, and added the Chipotle pepper, cilantro, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Simmered for a few minutes to re-hydrate the dried Chipotle. Started adding the cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly to allow it to melt evenly. After all the cheese was melted, added the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring thoroughly and constantly. When the Queso looked smooth and creamy, stirred in the Chorizo, diced Green Chile, Green Onion and reserved Onion and Garlic. I then put a lid on the pan, turned off the heat, and got ready to go to the party. We served the Queso Fundido with 1/4″ slices of Baugette, pieces of Red Bell Pepper, and sliced Granny Smith Apple. Many people were suprised how good it was on the Apple; the sweet/tart flavor of the Granny Smith combined with the savory Queso was a knockout combination. Here is what it looked like:
Queso Fundido
This is one of those dishes that gets better the longer is sits out. This is partly because the flavors continue to marry as time passes, along with the fact that the heavy chunks of sausage and veggies sink to the bottom of the bowl. So, those who skim from the top when eating it leave all the good stuff for those who dig deep into the bowl later on! This is definitely a very versatile recipe. If you just stick to the base ingredients and infuse it with whatever flavors you see fit, you can give it a completely different character. I’m already envisioning Greek, Mexican, and Italian versions of this one. The birthday girl had big plans for what was left over: as a filling for a Sunday morning Omelette. Good thinkin’, Meredith!
Recent Comments