As a cheese lover, any meal based in cheese does it for me. I particularly love any form of melted or baked cheese – on pasta, nachos or tortillas, in dip form, or with bread. As my head dances with images of gooey cheese dishes, my mouth is now starting to salivate as I focus on my latest melted cheese effort – Rick Bayless's Queso Fundido al Tequila.
I'm not quite sure how I stumbled upon the recipe, but I am glad I did because I thought queso fundidos were for only those that had those special baking ramekins or fondue pots. To learn that I could simply make this in a saute pan and then serve with no issues? Amazing.
I halved this recipe, but otherwise followed it largely as is. Basically saute the vegetable medley of tomatoes, onions, and chiles until fragrant.
Then add a splash of tequila to infuse a nice, almost sweet / sour flavor.
Then just add your shredded cheese – I used monterey jack – in small portions until just melted. Garnish with cilantro and season generously with salt and pepper.
Because I initially didn't season the queso with salt, it was quite bland. After seasoning heavily with salt though, the queso mixture still didn't feel like a complete meal. So then I discovered the key addition – homemade tomatillo salsa – which alternatively could just be a generous splash of lime juice with maybe some additional fresh chopped chiles. Some oregano, garlic and/or chile powder in the vegetable mix would also help liven up the queso as well.
With one of those extra little kicks, this queso is a fantastic weeknight comfort food!
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