Chile Con Queso Revved Up Food

CHILI CON QUESO

Steps:

• Combine the processed cheese, Cheddar, Monterey Jack and mozzarella in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into very small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
• Add the jalapeno to the drippings and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chili powder and cumin and stir until well incorporated with the flour mixture, about 30 seconds longer. Slowly pour in the milk and cook, whisking frequently, until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese mix a handful at a time. Cook, whisking until smooth. You can add the next handful once the previous handful has melted about halfway.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the browned sausage, pico de gallo and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings and heat with additional salt and hot sauce. Serve warm with chips for dipping and extra pico de gallo on the side.

CHILE CON QUESO

Steps:

• Brown the sausage and onion in a large nonstick skillet, breaking the sausage up as you go. Once browned, drain off some of the fat.
• Chop the cheese block into cubes and add along with the diced tomatoes and green chiles and chopped green chiles, juice and all.
• Cook over a low heat until it all starts coming together. Then stir in the diced jalapeno. Serve with chips.

CHILE CON QUESO

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
• Add the half & half to the pot and whisk until the flour dissolves. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, a few minutes. Turn the heat down to low and gradually add the grated cheese, whisking and letting it melt as you go, until all of the cheese is incorporated. Add the cumin, salt and tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; for more heat, add the optional red pepper flakes. (If the dip seems too thick, you can thin it out with a bit more half & half or some milk.) Transfer to bowl and serve hot with tortilla chips. If the dip cools while you're serving it, you can reheat it in the microwave; just stop and stir at short intervals so it reheats evenly.
• Note: The queso can be made ahead of time and reheated on the stovetop. If it's too thick, add a bit of half and half or milk to thin it out.
• Note: If you touch the seeds of the jalapeño pepper, just be sure to wash your hands well and avoid touching your eyes.

THE NEW QUESO

Steps:

• To roast the Anaheim chiles and jalapenos: Roast the chiles by using metal tongs to hold them one-by-one over the flame of your stovetop until the skin is totally charred. (If you don't have a gas stove, you can use an outdoor grill OR place them on a baking sheet directly under your oven's broiler.) When totally blackened, place the chiles in a large resealable plastic bag and seal the bag to allow them to sweat for a good 20 minutes. Then use a knife to scrape off most of the blackened skin. Stem, seed and dice the chiles.
• In large pot over medium heat, add the bacon and chorizo. Cook until the fat has been rendered out, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the garlic and onion to a food processor and pulse until almost a paste.
• Drain off most of the fat from the bacon and chorizo, then add the garlic-onion puree to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour the diced tomatoes and green chiles into the food processor and pulse slightly. Add to the pot, juice and all. Fold in the reserved diced chiles. Cook for 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in both cheeses and the evaporated milk. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to heat through, making sure to not scorch the bottom of the pot. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and eat from the pot with tortilla chips.

CHILE CON QUESO REVVED UP

Steps:

• Dice the onion
• Using a nonstick sprayed skillet, cook sausage and onions until brown, stirring occasionally. Once browned, drain some of the fat from the skillet.
• Cube Velveeta loaf. Add cubes to browned sausage and onion mixture. Add can of Rotel (juice and all), can of green chilies (juice and all), and stir over low heat.
• Cut the top and bottom off the jalapeño, slice into matchsticks, then rotate and slice to create a fine dice. (For a spicy version, leave seeds and white membranes. For a milder option, remove them.) Add to queso and stir.
• Serving tip: Use a fondue pot or crock pot to serve piping hot!

SLOW-COOKER CHILE CON QUESO

Steps:

• Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chili powder and garlic powder and stir to combine. Add 1/4 cup water and let simmer until evaporated.
• Transfer the beef to a slow cooker. Stir in the cheese and salsa. Cover and let cook on high until melted, about 1 hour.
• Serve with tortilla chips.

CHILE CON QUESO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the Chile con Queso, mix the cheese and Roasted Jalapeno Salsa in a cazuela or an ovenproof serving dish and bake until the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
• In a cast iron skillet, over a very high heat, char the onion slices and remove. Toast the garlic, remove and peel. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet and sear the chilies until charred. Add the remaining oil, the oregano, lime juice, and salt ingredients and cook 1 minute. Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until they are roughly chopped but smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, mix the brine: salt, cayenne, lime juice, water and oil. Warm over a low heat and whisk thoroughly. Cut the stale tortillas into strips or wedges. (If the tortillas are fresh, dry them by spreading them on a baking sheet and letting them sit out, room temperature, for 1 hour or more.) Briefly dip the tortilla pieces into the brine, then shake off the excess water. (A longer soaking in the brine will make the tortillas take on a more pronounced flavor.) Spread the prepared tortilla chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until they are crisp and golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

CHILE CON QUESO

Steps:

• Heat the cheese and milk in double boiler until melted and smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer the fondue to a lit and warm fondue pot or small chafing dish. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.