Saturday, September 20, 2008

Queso Fundido

This is so easy. Is it even a recipe? It's a very typical snack served at parties in Mexico. Queso Fundido is melted cheese. It is eaten with soft, warm tortillas. Use the tortillas or a fork to scoop the cheese.

To be authentic, melt the cheese in a terracotta dish called a cazuela, shown in picture. We melted slices of Fontina cheese, but any cheese that melts well can be used, such as Mozzarella, Chihuahua, Manchego, etc. If plain cheese seems too boring, other ingredients can be added too. In the photo, we added strips of roasted poblano pepper. Other vegetarian versions could include sauteed mushrooms and onions with oregano, for instance.

Just melt it in a hot oven until the cheese gets bubbly and golden on top. It takes just a few minutes if the oven is really hot, around 400F.