Homemade Queso Fundido (Print version)
Bubbly, stretchy queso fundido with Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheese, roasted green chiles, and optional chorizo. A 25-minute Mexican melted cheese dip that disappears fast.
# Ingredients:
For the dip
01 -
6 oz (170 g) Oaxaca cheese, pulled into rough strips
02 -
6 oz (170 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded from a block
03 -
8 oz (225 g) canned diced roasted green chiles (2 standard cans), drained
04 -
1/4 lime, for finishing
05 -
Salt to taste
Optional add-in
06 -
5 oz (140 g) raw Mexican chorizo, casings removed
To serve
07 -
Warm flour or corn tortillas
08 -
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
09 -
1 small tomato, finely diced
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). If using a cast-iron skillet, place it in the oven while it preheats so the pan is hot when the cheese goes in.
02 -
Remove the chorizo from its casing and crumble into the skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Spoon off most of the rendered fat, leaving about a teaspoon in the pan.
03 -
Spread the drained diced green chiles in an even layer over the bottom of the skillet or baking dish. Mix the Oaxaca strips and shredded Monterey Jack together, then pile the cheese loosely over the chiles without pressing down.
04 -
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and just starting to bubble at the edges. The surface should be barely beginning to color, not browned all the way through.
05 -
For a few golden patches on top, move the skillet under the broiler for 60 to 90 seconds. Watch it the entire time as it can overbrown very fast.
06 -
Squeeze the lime over the top, scatter cilantro and diced tomato if using, and bring directly to the table. Serve immediately with warm tortillas or chips.
# Good to know:
01 -
Best served immediately, straight from the oven, while the cheese is still glossy and stretchy.
02 -
A cast-iron skillet holds heat longer at the table than a ceramic baking dish.