Queso fundido is the king of queso. Forget queso sauce (which don’t get me wrong, I love) because it cannot compare to the cheesy perfection of queso fundido. It uses a combination of Mexican melting cheeses (in this case two) to achieve a base that is a smooth and creamy and a top that gives a perfect gooey cheese pull, and crisp, bubbly sides. And this variation is made even better by spicy chorizo and green chiles.
It is perfect for a crowd when served hot and bubbly, straight from the skillet. For personal servings or leftovers, build out single serve dishes in mini cocottes.
The method is incredibly simple, so nothing to cover there. The only note is if you are serving for a party, it will want to be served straight out of the oven. To prep ahead, make the chorizo and veggie mix and pre shred the cheese, and store until ready. When ready to bake, top with cheese and pop in the oven.
As far as ingredients go, I do have quite a few notes. The first: use fresh Mexican chorizo, not cured Spanish chorizo. Although the have the same name, they are very different and cannot be substituted here. If you cannot find fresh chorizo, you can subtitle with spicy sausage – but you may want to add some extra spices. Feel free to omit if vegetarian – proceed with just the veggies (again, beef up the spices!).
For the cheese, the specific varieties listed may be hard to find depending on your area. If you cannot find the cheese or chorizo, I highly recommend paying a visit to your local hispanic grocer. However, even if you do, you may still struggle to find the exact kind. Not to fear – you can substitute for a variety of other Mexican cheeses, or even more common cheeses such as Mozzarella. See below for my recommended substitutions.
Panela substitue:
-Queso fresco
-Queso blanco
-Cotija
-Farmers cheese
*if you can’t find any of the above, you can still make this! Use a mix of mild cheddar, monterey jack, and mozzarella.
Oaxaca substitute:
-Queso asadero
-Mix of mozzarella and mild cheddar
-Monterey jack
A final note, this recipe is not definitely not fully traditional, but takes full credit and inspiration from the Mexican dish which I adore (like most Mexican cuisine).
Queso fundido with chorizo and green chiles
Course: Appetizers, Side4
servings30
minutes40
minutes1
hour10
minutesCreamy, gooey, cheesy perfection meets spicy chorizo and green chiles. Perfect for a game day snack!
Ingredients
6oz fresh Mexican chorizo (uncooked, not the cured Spanish version)
1 small tomato
1 jalapeño
3-4 scallion whites
1/2 sweet onion
1 4oz can chopped green chiles
Big pinch cayenne (optional)
10oz Oaxaca cheese, shredded
5ox Panela cheese, shredded
Cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- If serving immediately, preheat oven to 375 F
Slice the top off your jalapeño and slice three jalapeño rounds for garnish. Dice the remaining, removing the seeds if you do not like spice. Chop the scallion whites and slice some of the greens for garnish. Deseed the tomato and dice. Dice the onion. - Put a 9-10inch oven proof skillet over medium heat. Remove the chorizo from link casings and add to the skillet. Brown, breaking up with your spatula, until you get a nice sear.
Add in your veggies (not including chiles) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have lost most of their moisture. This can take some time, so be patient and wait until they are very small and tomatoes have essentially disappeared and there is very little liquid in the pan. Season with salt. - Once the veggies and chorizo starts to stick just a bit (only a few pieces) add in your green chiles and mix to scrape up the stuck bits. Cook until most of the moisture is gone and the chiles shrink a bit. During this time, add your big pinch of cayenne and more salt if needed (taste!).
- Remove from heat. When ready to serve, add the panela cheese directly to the pan in a layer over the meat, and then layer the oaxaca.
- Bake 10 minutes, until mostly melted, and then add the jalapeño slices(optional). Return to oven and bake 3-5 more minutes, or until bubbly and slightly crisp around the edges. Serve immediately with warm tortilla or tortilla chips.
To make ahead, cook chorizo and veggies and shred cheese. When ready to make, preheat oven, cover with cheese and bake. For leftovers (if you are lucky enough to have them), add to mini cocottes and bake again at 400.
