Happy Foodie Friday! These recipes come courtesy of Penny and Eleazar Martinez.
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Each of our Taste Test Reviews comes with the original recipe and the tester's notes/changes listed with the ingredient list in blue. We hope you enjoy!
Being a self-proclaimed connoisseur of queso, I was more than excited to try my hand at making a batch. As I was heating the various cheeses the consistency was more akin to a queso fundido. I made one-third of the recipe and ended up adding about a 1/4 cup of water and a few tablespoons more of cream to thin the queso out. If you are making the full recipe, watch the consistency and know you may have to add more liquid than you think. Even with adding some extra liquids the queso ended up being more on the thick side. Overall, the recipe was simple to follow and tasted great. The Carne topping came together easily and was a perfect complement to the dish. If you like Queso, definitely give this recipe a try!
Makes 20 servings
Preparation Time: 5 Minutes for the Carne
Cook Time: 10 minutes for the Queso, 10 minutes for the Carne
Cost: $25
Ingredients for Cheese:
*1 cup heavy cream (You may have to add extra cream and water to thin the queso out)
*3 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
*3 pounds mild cheddar cheese
*1 tablespoon onion powder
Preparation:
*In a large saucepan, warm up the heavy cream on medium heat.
*Add the onion powder and stir to dissolve cream.
*Start adding the cheeses in batches, allowing each batch to melt nicely before adding the next batch. Always keep stirring.
*When all the cheese has been incorporated, place the queso in a dish, top with carne topping. (Recipe below).
Ingredients for Carne Topping:
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*2 pounds ground beef
*1 tablespoon smoky paprika (regular paprika can be substituted, but smoky tastes better)
*1 tablespoon cumin
*1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
*1 cup Roma tomatos, chopped
*1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
*Salt and pepper, to tast
Preparation:
*In a large skillet heat up the oil on high heat.
*Add the beef and work well with a spatula until nicely crumbled.
*Turn the heat down to medium and add the rest of the ingredients and cook, constantly stirring, for 5 minutes (add a splash of water if needed to moisten the beef).
*Take off the heat, serve and enjoy.
Recipe and Taste Tester - Alina Gersib