Mmm. . .Queso. Need I say more?
I love queso. I love lazy Sundays. Don’t they make an excellent pairing? They did for me the other weekend. With a Sunday filled with around the house items (study for wine exam, watch one of our horses race, do a little laundry), it was the perfect day for an afternoon of snacks. I gave my hubby the option of a French or Mexican menu, and he chose Mexican. What better item to build that menu around than chorizo queso? Add a spicy veggie and shrimp sauté and homemade guacamole, and you have complete culinary happiness.
To learn more about this recipe, first published in January 2017, keep reading.
I am a huge fan of queso. Even more than that, I am an enthusiast of cheese in its many forms. However, when you take cheese and make it melty and warm, I’m almost over the top excited. Thus, when thinking about recipes to make in a slow cooker, I was determined to find at least one that involved cheese.
It really wasn’t that hard to create a new recipe. I’ve made other cheese dips in the crockpot- the espinaca and sausage dip from Monday among them. The basic concept of these recipes isn’t that they get to simmer all day while you work but rather that they keep the dip warm while you’re enjoying it.
So, on a cold winter Monday night, what makes a lovelier tapas dish than a small crockpot filled with melted cheese and chorizo? Served with flour tortillas or tortilla chips, it’s the perfect way to linger over a meal. Of course, this isn’t a fancy pants sort of appetizer. It would work quite well for a Sunday afternoon spent watching football or an appetizer to bring to a gathering. In fact, I’m pretty sure my kids are going to be requesting a batch of their own. Why should the parents get all the fun?
- 1/2 lb. chorizo, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion
- 1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 2-1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 Tb. milk
- 1/2 tomato, seeded & diced
- Heat large nonstick frying pan over medium heat; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add diced chorizo; saute for 5 minutes.
- Transfer chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Wipe out pan; respray.
- Add onion and jalapeno. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute; remove from heat.
- Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chorizo, and sauteed veggies in small crockpot turned to high.
- Stir well, and cover.
- As cheese begins to melt, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- When all melted (about an hour or two) add tomatoes, and serve.
- Serve with tortillas, corn chips, carrots sticks, or whatever dipper you prefer.
