Queso Fundido With Chilies And Mushrooms Recipes

QUESO FUNDIDO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, crumbling it as you go, until browned and cooked through.
• Remove the chorizo from the skillet and drain it on paper towels (chorizo is very greasy!). Pour off any excess fat from the skillet.
• Without cleaning the skillet, add the onion and bell peppers.
• Cook the veggies over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they brown and soften, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the tequila, if using. Turn the heat back on to medium-high and cook until the vegetables are golden brown and the liquor has reduced, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set them aside. Turn off the heat.
• Mix the cheeses together, then cover the bottom of a medium ovenproof skillet with one-third of the cheese mixture . . .
• Add one-third of the vegetables . . .
• And one-third of the chorizo.
• Continue with two more layers, ending with chorizo. Sprinkle the top with chili powder.
• Bake until the cheese is totally melted, hot, and slightly bubbling around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Watch it constantly, as you don't want the cheese to get overly melted and hard. But you want it to be sizzling!
• Top with the tomatoes, a sprinkle of kosher salt, and the cilantro.
• Serve immediately with tortilla chips . . .
• Or carrot sticks and cauliflower florets if you want to avoid chips!

QUESO FUNDIDO WITH CHILIES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add poblano chili and garlic and sauté until chili begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Prepare barbecue (medium-low heat). Transfer cast-iron skillet to barbecue rack. Add cheese to hot mushroom mixture. Stir until cheese melts and mixture begins to bubble, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle green onions and jalapeño chili over. Serve immediately with corn chips.

MELTED MOZZARELLA CASSEROLE WITH MUSHROOMS AND SMOKY CHIPOTLE CHILE (QUESO FUNDIDO)

Steps:

• The mushroom mixture: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet (preferably nonstick), heat the oil over medium-high. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softening and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir nearly constantly until they have softened and any juice they release has evaporated, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the sliced chiles, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Transfer the mixture to a 9- or 10-inch shallow baking dish, Mexican cazuela or pie plate.
• Finishing the queso fundido: Very lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel. Check the tortillas to make sure none are stuck together. Wrap them in the towel, then in foil, sealing the edges tightly. Place in the oven and set the timer for 7 minutes. When the timer goes off, stir the shredded cheese into the warm mushroom mixture. Set in the oven alongside the tortillas and bake until the cheese is just melted, about 5 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the thyme or epazote and black pepper and serve without a moment's hesitation, accompanied by warm tortillas.

QUESO FUNDIDO CON HONGOS Y CHILE CHIPOTLE (MOZZARELLA CASSEROLE WITH MUSHROOMS AND SMOKY CHIPOTLE CHILE)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet (preferably non-stick), heat the oil over medium-high. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softening and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir nearly constantly until they have softened and any juice they release has evaporated, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the sliced chile, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Transfer the mixture to a 9- or 10-inch shallow baking dish, Mexican cazuela or pie plate. Very lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel. Check the tortillas to make sure none are stuck together. Wrap them in the towel, then in foil, sealing the edges tightly. Place in the oven and set the timer for 7 minutes. When the timer goes off, stir the shredded cheese into the warm mushroom mixture. Set in the oven alongside the tortillas and bake until the cheese is just melted, about 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with the thyme or epazote and black pepper and serve without a moment's hesitation, accompanied by the warm tortillas.