Smoked Queso Fundido Dip

FOR BIG CRAVINGS, ONE LUSCIOUS DIP

Just think of what you can achieve with melted cheese, chorizo, vegetables, and roasted poblano chiles. For a rich, tasty and mouthwatering alternative to any classic Tailgating side dish, try this loaded Smoked Queso Fundido dip. It blends in the right amount of spice and meaty flavor! This recipe will guide you through this awesome melted cheese dip: from smoking the peppers to grilling the veggies and letting everything melt on the grill. A filling, delicious one-stop dish that satisfies many culinary desires. 

DIRECTIONS

Light, smoke and enhance

To start, light grill and add apple wood for additional smokey taste. The first thing you are going to do is fire roast the poblanos directly on coals and flip them many times. This really makes a difference when it comes to roasted peppers! Then, remove the poblanos once the skin has darkened from the smoke and heat, all around the pepper. To remove the skin and get nice peeled poblanos for your queso dip, you can cover them with plastic wrap to steam them. This way, the skin will come off easily. Otherwise, just set the poblanos aside and peel them when it is cool enough to handle. Tip: use a spoon and scrape off the skin. Remove the stem and seeds and chop into smaller pieces.

Now that your chunks of poblano are ready and your fire is going, add a grate to your grill and the wok or cast iron skillet. Get that preheated, for your cheese to melt in with all the rest of the ingredients.

Load your queso fundido

Chop an onion and a few small bell peppers, as well as the mushrooms. Reserve ¼ of the raw onion for topping at the end. Add these to the wok with a little oil, and while they are there, go ahead and season the vegetables with salt and pepper. After a few minutes, add a splash of beer. Everything should simmer and caramelize, naturally. The mushrooms ooze out that signature taste when they brown!  

Prep the chorizo by removing it from its casing and then finely chop 2 cloves of garlic. When the beer has evaporated, add the chorizo, poblanos, and garlic and stir. Cook these until the chorizo has cooked through, then remove the chorizo mixture and transfer it to a bowl. You can drain any excess liquid.

Cheesy and delicious

While the chorizo mixture is cooking, grate the cheese and have it ready in a bowl.

Set up your grill for indirect heat and add the wok back to the grill as high in the grill as you can. This will help the top of the dish get brown. Add a spoonful of the chorizo mixture, then a layer of cheese, followed by more chorizo and cheese. Layer these on and make sure you have a big layer of cheese on top. Bake the dish for about 30 minutes or until it has melted through and the top has browned. 

Once it is ready, top the cheese dip with chopped tomato, onion, and cilantro. The garnish adds freshness, too! Serve the Smoked Queso Fundido in the hot cast iron dish with avocado slices, chips, and flour tortillas. Dip your chips, or spread it over the tortillas, pass it around... Either way, every mouthful will be mind blowing. Enjoy!