Queso fundido

During the winter, I love to eat warm, hearty treats. There’s something about the winter weather that makes you want to eat things that’ll stick to your ribs, right?

This past weekend, I made a very simple queso fundido that really hit the spot. Given that I just shared a recipe for homemade chorizo earlier this week, I thought it would be nice to give you another way to use that during the holidays for a quick and easy party treat.

Whether you’re hosting at home or need to bring a dish to a posada or any other type of party, this is a super simple recipe that’s sure to wow guests. To take it to go, just prepare in the crock or a casserole dish and wait until you arrive at the party to pop it under the broiler for a few minutes. Don’t forget to bring some tortillas!

We like to make tacos out of this recipe, but you can absolutely also serve it dip-style with chips if you like.

RECETA

QUESO FUNDIDO | CHORIZO AND CHEESE MELT

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 5 ounces cooked chorizo
• 14 ounces shredded Chihuahua cheese
• Non-stick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Cook your chorizo first and set aside to drain the grease over paper towels.

Then, in a microwave-proof dish, grate the Chihuahua cheese and microwave at intervals of 30 seconds until mostly melted. Stir if necessary to heat evenly.

Spray a little non-stick cooking spray in a small oven-proof crock (an individual-size soup crock will hold half this recipe and is what I typically use and make a second serving). Pour the melted cheese into the crock. Add half the chorizo and fold in gently.

Set your oven broiler on low and place the crock at least 6-8 inches from the flame. Heat for about 5-6 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and gets brown spots. Be sure to use a pot holder or oven mitt to remove the crock from underneath the broiler.

Place the crock on a trivet and serve with warm tortillas to make tacos (yields about 10 tacos) or hearty tortilla chips if you want to serve it more as a dip.

Note: the cooking spray is completely optional; I like to use it because it helps a lot with cleanup and getting all the cheese out of the dish before it makes it to my sink.

• What do you like in your queso fundido?