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Queso Fundido – A Holiday Appetizer Tradition

By 16 Comments

his Queso Fundido recipe post is sponsored by Real California Milk but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

The best part of the holidays is being with the people I love the most, but my food traditions are a close runner-up. Between the taste of those favorite recipes and the memories that go along with them, it just wouldn’t be the holidays if they didn’t make an appearance year in, year out.

Christmas dinner with my family, for instance, doesn’t include a turkey, ham or roast beef. We skip the big dinner and serve appetizers instead… lots and lots of appetizers. One of our favorites is queso fundido, an ooey gooey cheese dip with sausage or chorizo.

If I didn’t make this every year, there’d be a huge uproar and I’d probably be fired from the family.

The key to a great Queso Fundido is the cheese. Look for California specialty and Hispanic-style cheeses with the Real California Milk seal on the package. That’s how you ensure you’re bringing something special to the holiday table.

California Dairy means real food from real people — 99% of California dairies are family-owned, so elevate your holiday entertaining this year with wholesome, flavorful California cheeses.

I use four different kinds of cheese for mine: Queso Blanco, Oaxaca, Sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack and I buy it in blocks so that I can grate it fresh myself.

 

First I broil a couple of poblano peppers in the oven until they blister and blacken. Once they’re cool, I chop them up, and I don’t worry about the seeds.

I also saute some onion and then cook either a spicy breakfast sausage or chorizo until it’s browned and crumbly. Either type of sausage will work fine, so go with your fave. I tend to switch it up all the time.

Then I layer the cheese and sausage a few times, sprinkle with the roasted peppers and bake it until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle on some freshly chopped tomatoes and cilantro, grab a tortilla chip (or ten) and dig in!

I hope you love Queso Fundido for the holidays as much as me and my family do. It’s so darn good.

Print

Queso Fundido

Author Liz

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chorizo or spicy breakfast sausage
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 2 poblano peppers
  • 1 cup Real California Queso Blanco cheese shredded or crumbled
  • 1 cup Real California Oaxaca cheese shredded or crumbled
  • 1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • tortilla chips, for dipping

Instructions

  1. In medium skillet, cook sausage until brown all the way through, crumbling it as it cooks. Remove to paper towel to drain off excess grease. Discard all but a tablespoon or two of the grease remaining in skillet. Cook onion until soft and translucent. Add sausage to skillet and mix together. Set aside.

  2. Turn on oven broiler. Place poblano peppers on cookie sheet and put under broiler for about 5 minutes or until black and blistered. Let cool, then dice.

  3. Turn oven to bake and 400 degrees.  

  4. Divide the cheese into thirds and the sausage in half. In an 8 or 9-inch cast iron skillet, layer 1/3 of the cheese, 1/2 the sausage. Repeat and top with the remaining cheese.

  5. Bake in oven 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to bubble. Keep an eye on it! Remove from oven before the cheese starts to brown.  

  6. Immediately after removing from oven, fold in 1/4 cup milk and stir gently until cheese is blended and smooth. You want to do this quickly. Top with chopped peppers, diced tomatoes and cilantro. Serve immediately with tortilla chips for dipping.

Pin the Queso Fundido recipe!

Queso Fundido

Find a retailer near you selling Real California Milk cheese and bake up a skillet of Queso Fundido to add extra fun and flavor to your holiday menu this year.

Comments

  3. I think I’m gonna make up a holiday just so I have an excuse to make this! I can taste the flavors just by looking at it!

    Reply

  4. Queso Fundido is always a favorite appetizer around here! My daughter and I discovered this one night at the Mexican restaurant when we wanted to get something new to try. Your recipe looks divine!

    Reply

  5. If this a kind of appetizer that we have in our dining table I will definitely be full because I am going to eat all of it. It so delicious and I want to try to make this for my whole family!

    Reply

  10. One of the many great things about the holidays: FOOD! I love all the various foods that come out this time of year. This recipe is sure to be a hit for Christmas gathering!

    Reply

  12. Yay. A new recipe to try. Meal planning is mind boggling. We should always try to come up with new dishes to serve the family. I am making this queso fundido. It would be a nice one to have for our family game nights too.

    Reply

  13. I’ve never had anything like this before but it looks yummy! I love the idea of having all appetizers for dinner, cool!

    Reply

  16. That looks amazing! I am so making this for our next game day. I love all the flavors, here. Heck, I might just make this as a fun dinner one night.

    Reply

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