Cheese Dip

Today I'm sharing the recipe for my family's cheese dip.  Chili con queso is a standard appetizer at any Tex-Mex restaurant, and this recipe allows you to have that cheesy goodness at home.  It works great as an appetizer, a snack (especially for Super Bowl parties), a side to serve with tamales or tacos, or as a dinner with tortilla chips all by itself (which is what we did last night).

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. Velveeta
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2-3 jalapeños
• 1 garlic glove

Chop these cheese into small pieces and melt in a double broiler.  Make sure the water doesn't get too hot and bubble out.

Chop the jalapeños, tomatoes, and garlic (or run the clove through a garlic press) and place all (including the sauce from the tomatoes) in the double broiler with the cheese.

Cook for 20-30 minutes.  The longer you cook the dip, the hotter (spicier) the dip will wind up being.

Serve with tortilla chips, tortillas, or over tacos or tamales and enjoy!

Cheese Enchiladas

Last week, we had another blast of winter here in Dallas.  Since it was cool and windy, we decided we wanted something warm and tasty and decided to make cheese enchiladas on Thursday.  Cheese enchiladas are a Tex-Mex favorite and we used the recipe in Robb Walsh's Tex-Mex Cookbook which you can buy on Amazon.  This book has a ton of tasty Tex-Mex recipes, sprinkled with interesting tidbits of Texas history and historical photographs.

Ingredients:

• Chili Gravy
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. powdered garlic
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp. chili power
• 2 cups chicken broth or water 
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 cups grated Velveeta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Yield: 4 servings (8 enchiladas)

To make the chili gravy, heat the peanut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes, until it makes a light brown roux.  Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending the ingredients.  Add the chicken broth, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens.

Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes.  Add water to adjust the thickness if necessary.

Next we grated the Velveeta and chopped the onions.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Ladle 1 cup of the chili gravy on to a large ovenproof baking dish.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.  Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil for 30 seconds, or until soft and lightly browned.

Place the tortilla on a paper towel and allow to cool before handling.

Place 1/4 cup of the Veleveeta and 1 tablespoon of the chopped onion down the center of the tortilla and roll the tortilla around the filling.

Place the tortilla seam side down on the gravy covered plate.  Repeat with the other 7 tortillas.

Pour the remaining chili gravy over the top of the tortillas and sprinkle the dish with the shredded cheddar cheese and remaining chopped onions.  Bake the dish for 15 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is well melted.

Our enchiladas were staggered so we could divide them into 4 servings easier.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

These enchiladas were really tasty and a great way to warm up on a cool winter day.  

Do you have any Tex-Mex favorites?