Oh man. We’ve been so busy this weekend and it’s only Saturday!

On Friday, we had our very first beer-and-bike of the year – it’s pretty much the greatest. We go on a bar crawl through one of Portland’s neighborhoods, by bike, when the weather is amazing. We enjoy delicious craft beer, get dinner somewhere along the way, and then bike off into the sunset, aka home, when the evening is done. Usually we hit 3 or 4 places over the course of 3 or 4 hours. It’s so much fun.

And then today, we have been all over town. We started the day with a shift at the food bank, and then biked to the Timbers game next. And then we did some projects around the house! My tomato starts all just got brand new 6-inch pots. Hopefully they are happy in their new little homes! Also, I cleaned out the fridge. I feel like no matter how hard you try, it’s always a big task to keep it clean and organized. Tonight, to relax together, we made chili and cornbread for dinner – one of my favorite comfort foods. It got me thinking about another, less healthy comfort food… one I still miss though, so a while back, we made homemade queso fundido!

Ahhh college parties of yore. The queso was… its own special kind of queso.. It was definitely ro-tel and velveeta. Which it turns out, makes a pretty dang good queso dip.

Even now that I am 30, I think there’s a time and a place for the ooey, gooey deliciousness of that type cheese dip. But I’m also more likely to make my own at home – turns out, it is not that much harder than opening a can of tomatoes. Plus, then you can mix up the cheeses and use your favorite beer to make the sauce!

I know this is more complicated than the microwaving required for the “classic,” but it’s worth it – and it doesn’t even truly qualify as being complicated. Plus, this kind has delicious broiled cheese on top. Which is always a bonus, in my book.

Easy Queso Fundido

Ingredients

• Queso Fundido
• You can reheat this ooey-gooey queso fundido dip in a skillet, or keep it warm in a fondue pot. Save this recipe for your next taco night.
• Ingredients
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeded, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 3 ounces coarsely grated mild yellow cheddar
• 3 ounces coarsely grated Monterey Jack
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup beer + additional – anything that is not a stout, porter or IPA will do

Instructions

1. Saute peppers and onion in a small, oven-safe skillet (I used an 8 inch cast iron), until the onions are translucent. Set aside.
2. Next, toss the two cheeses with the flour in a bowl. Add the beer to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese mixture in, in small batches, whisking constantly. You may wish to add more beer to get the dip to your desired consistency. Stir in pepper and onion mixture.
3. Finally, sprinkle a little extra shredded cheese on top and broil for 3-5 minutes (keep a close eye on it). Top with salsa, cilantro, sour cream, or whatever else floats your boat!