Chile con Queso

Of all of my mom's recipes, which are too many to name, the one that brings back the warmest memories is "Chile con Queso." I will never forget when we gave her her first nonstick sauté pan. It was like we gave her a million dollars! After that day, I would say she kinda giggled inside when she would reach for that teflon pan, every day, sometimes several times a day. This is one of the most simple, yet most delicious dishes I proudly share with my friends and family on any given day. I prepared it with IMUSA's special-edition Autism Speaks aluminum sauté pan. April is National Autism Awareness Month, and I was happy to prepare this recipe with this special pan, which features the exclusive Autism Speaks Puzzle Piece Design as well as a 2-layer nonstick coating and an ergonomic Bakelite Handle.

I am very proud to serve this dish as-is, but me being the cook that my mom taught me to be, I like to make several variations of this dish, for example by adding roasted poblano pepper strips, sauteed mushrooms and sometimes chipotle-spiced shrimp. Using nonstick coated pans in my kitchen sure does make my cooking experience a lot easier. This IMUSA pan was perfect for making Chile con Queso. It joins a variety of IMUSA products already in my kitchen! 

Chile Con Queso

Ingredients:

3 large Roma tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 small white onion, cut into thin strips (about 1/2 cup)

1 to 2 serrano chile peppers (seeds removed for less heat), chopped

2 green onions, chopped

12 oz. queso panela, queso fresco, or pepper jack cheese, sliced

1/3 cup of water

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil to medium heat, add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. While the onions are cooking, in the blender combine the tomatoes, chile serrano, water and 1 teaspoon of salt, blend until smooth, set aside. When onions are starting to brown slightly, add the tomato mixture from the blender to the onions, stir well to combine. Cook for just about 2 minutes, reduce heat and carefully add the cheese slices to the simmering sauce. If using panela or queso fresco, it will get soft, but it will not melt like the jack cheese. This dish should be served right away, so have your Mexican bolillo bread, warm tortillas or tostadas ready. Serve with warm refried beans and avocado slices.

Note: In my mom's recipe, she always used queso panela, a Mexican cheese, but it is not available in my local markets, so I substitute with pepper jack cheese.

Other recipes by Sonia:

Mexican Red Rice
Buñuelos
Cheesy Chorizo Bread
Empanadas de Pollo
Pork Chile Colorado
Frijoles Borrachos con Chorizo
Pork Chile Verde
Lemon Pepper Chicken Fajitas
Simply Seasoned Shrimp
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip Chimichangas

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