Queso Fundido with Chorizo

Sometimes, all I want for dinner is appetizers.

Sometimes, a dip will just just fine. Especially if it's a hearty dip.

So one Friday at the end of a particularly bad week, I made this queso fundido with chorizo. Because I really do enjoy melted cheese and sausage and some day, I'll get it right.

Doesn't it look tasty?

I stopped by the grocery store to pick up the things I would need for this dip. Cilantro, a jalapeno, chorizo (on which I could use a coupon!), a tomato and cheese.

After picking up the produce, I went to the special cheese case. Surely, they must have Mexican cheese, I thought.

Um, not so much.

I circled that case twice. And then also checked in the aisle with the rest of the cheeses. And then also checked the Mexican food aisle.

My grocery store doesn't carry Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero cheeses.

So I got some monterry jack and cheddar, the suggested substitue.

I cut the recipe in half since it was just going to be me.

I do use a cast iron skillet.

I also didn't dice the chorizo. Have you ever tried to cut up raw chorizo? It has never worked for me, my friend. It always desintigrates into a crumbly, oily mess. So I avoid this heartache from the get go and just take the casing off to crumble and cook the sausage.

I cook the sausage for the recommended amount of time. I cook the onion and tomatoes for longer than suggested because I really do like them broken down. Plus I'm trying to grate cheese at the same time, and when I'm trying to prepr food at the same time I'm trying to cook food, I just turn down the heat and let it go longer to buy myself time.

I chose to add the tequila. One, because I had some, and two, because fondue needs alcohol. Ask the Swiss. It just usually happens to be white wine or beer. Whatever. Tequila will work here.

The problem is, fondue usually also has flour to make a roux.

So I threw in the cheese, a little more than the recipe called for because that's me. And started stirring to melt it in.


I melted just like cheese does. It did not, however, turn out anything like a fondue. I ate it straight out of the cast iron skillet, hoping that would keep it hot and melty.

Looks pretty close to how it's supposed to.

Not really.


I mean, it stayed as malleable as melted cheese stays once it has been melted. And it tasted good! I little more stuff in my cheese than I like, but it was tasty. It just wasn't the best for dipping.


Conclusion: See about turning it into an actual fondue. Like, in the fondue pot. Or make it, put it over tortilla chips, and serve it like nachos.