Yes.

Yes I did.

Tequila and melted cheese. Those are like two of the greatest things ever invented. Possibly THE two greatest things. But then we have to deal with where to rank Trader Joe’s Sweet & Salty & Nutty Trek Mix and goat cheese and then we’re just gonna get bogged down in the details. Again.

So let’s not do that. Instead, let’s look for new ways to use tequila. Like in queso. (You know, because it doesn’t disappear quickly enough around here as it is.)

I spied Queso Fundido al Tequila over at The Way to His Heart and waited like a whole 5 seconds before I was pulling out the bottle of Hornitos. She he had me at tequila. (Most people do.)

I subbed in my favorite chile con queso cheese combination (it’s what your waiter really means when he says that their velvety smooth queso dip is made of Monterrey Jack) and stirred additional tequila into a double batch (go big or go home) of the dip right at the end so that enough of the flavor came through to make people exclaim, “Did you put tequila in this?!”

Yes.

Yes I did.

Print

Queso Fundido al Tequila

Chile con queso spiked with tequila.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp cooking oil (veggie, olive, canola)
• 1/2 cup white onion, diced
• 1 large jalapeno or serrano, seeds and stem removed; diced
• 5 Tbsp tequila, divided
• 12 oz white American cheese (I have the deli give me 3 slices on 10), shredded
• 4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (don
• 1/4-2/3 cup milk (whole and 2% both work)
• 2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• Pinch of salt
• Chips, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a saute pan and cook the onion and pepper until softened.
2. Add 3 Tbsp tequila, stir, and cook until it has nearly completely cooked away.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the milk. Stir until mostly melted.
5. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, salt, and additional milk until you've almost reached your desired consistency.
6. Stir in the remaining tequila.
7. Serve warm with chips, reheating a bit in the microwave as necessary. Leftovers will keep several days in the fridge.

Notes

Yields: ~2 cups

Adapted from Rick Bayless via The Way to His Heart

Estimated time: 15 minutes