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Recipe Box < Appetizers

Chili Con Queso

What is needed:

Large frying pan

Large spoon

Large knife

Cutting board

Measuring spoons

Large serving bowl

Nacho chips

Ingredients:

3 8oz. blocks of cheddar cheese

1 small onion

1 small green pepper

1 jalapeno pepper

1 Tablespoon butter

1 regular size jar salsa; mild, medium, or hot

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

Cut blocks of cheese into 1" cubes. Dice onion, green pepper, and jalapeno. Remove seeds from jalapeno. Place frying pan over medium high heat. Add butter and melt. Add onion, green pepper, and jalapeno to melted butter. Saute until translucent; approximately 2-3 minutes. Add cubed cheese to frying pan and stir occasionally until cheese is melted. Add mayonnaise and salsa to melted cheese mixture. Stir to incorporate. Pour chili con queso into large serving bowl.

Serving suggestion:

Serve with your favorite nacho chips. Serve sour cream on the side.

Place nacho chips on a large plate. Pour chili con queso over top of nachos. Sprinkle diced green onion and sliced black olives over the top. Top with 2 Tablespoons sour cream. Serve as a nacho plate appetizer.

Helpful hints:

Sometimes cheddar cheese can be stringy after it is melted. You will get better results by purchasing an "off brand" label.  Monteray Jack and chihuahua (a Mexican white cheese) can be used in combination with the cheddar cheese.  Always start with cheddar cheese as the base cheese and substitute up to 8 oz. of another variety cheese.

Caution! when working with jalapenos, the hotness will be on your hands after dicing. Careful not to touch your eyes until you wash your hands thoroughly. Even then, some of the heat will remain.

The heat is in the seeds. You can leave all or some of the seeds in the jalapeno. The more seeds, the hotter. Removing all the seeds will keep the "heat" to mild.

After the cheese has melted, it will stick to the bottom of the frying pan. Stirring regularly will help prevent some of this, but some will still stick. To remove stuck on cheese, soak frying pan in warm, soapy water.