Now I wish my team was still playing. Wish the Seahawks were there, but you can't cry over a loss a couple of weeks ago. In the interim, I'll adopt a team and go fill up my plate with all sorts of finger foods while the game is on. Can't go during the commercials, they're the best part of the game when you don't have a dog in the fight (sorry, bad Michael Vick reference).
At our parties, we're all assigned to bring some sort of snack food. I've done a number of things in the past, and those recipes are listed in this post.
This year, I'm thinking of bringing a homemade Queso Dip. Now you can go the quick and dirty method. Add 1 pound of Velveeta and a 16 ounce can of your favorite salsa or chili to your favorite pan. Melt the "Cheese" and stir it together. There's nothing wrong with that...
But I like to give it more flavor than that. And I worry about any food that has a half-life of 10 years. So I'm going to make a Queso dip from scratch. It'll take a few more minutes of prep time, but it tastes so much better. And if you have a fondue pot like the one shown above, you can make it on the spot at the party. The pot above is about $50 and available on my Amazon store. But it's not just for fondue. Sure, it'll make a killer Queso and it's perfect for the Chocolate Fondue you're going to make for your significant other in two weeks. But it can be used as a saute pan in a pinch. It can make a small soup in a few minutes. You can even mix up a marinara or other sauce quickly. And best of all, it's non-stick and submersible in water, so cleanup is extremely easy to clean.
Cart this pot to the party, along with the veggies already diced and the other ingredients divvied up in ziplocs and tupperware. Just saute the veggies in the pot, add the spices and cream, then slowly melt in the cheese and you're ready to go in about ten minutes. If you don't have a good fondue pot (go buy one), you can do this over a saucepan on the stove and pour it in a dish for serving.
Queso Dip
2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup diced poblano pepper
1/3 cup onion
1/3 cup petite diced tomatoes
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups cream
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
1 cup grated Mexican style cheeses
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese.
Heat your vessel to medium heat. Add the peppers and onions to the put along with the oil and saute them until the onions and peppers soften. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the cream and spices and continue to cook until it begins to simmer.
Slowly add the cheeses in small batches, stirring each addition until it melts into the mixture. Once all of the cheese is melted, drop the heat to medium low (2 out of ten) and serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, veggies or any other dip delivery system you wish.
So make this or any other appetizer for the big game and eat yourself into a food coma.
Heat your vessel to medium heat. Add the peppers and onions to the put along with the oil and saute them until the onions and peppers soften. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the cream and spices and continue to cook until it begins to simmer.
Slowly add the cheeses in small batches, stirring each addition until it melts into the mixture. Once all of the cheese is melted, drop the heat to medium low (2 out of ten) and serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, veggies or any other dip delivery system you wish.
So make this or any other appetizer for the big game and eat yourself into a food coma.
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