Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette

Impress your family and friends with this Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette. It is literally an over-the-top pan of creamy deliciousness. 

Before making this recipe, I could honestly say that I didn’t really care for Mexican food. Of course, the occasional quesadilla or cheesy queso dip was enticing. And I never could resist those awesome shrimp cups.

But really, all that talk of peppers and spicy sauces just didn’t speak to me. Until now. I had no idea that roasted poblanos had so much flavor without being fiery hot. Or that this vinaigrette would add so much flavor to my fish tacos.

For now, let’s talk about this queso dip. It is delicious. It is not complicated. And the final product is impressive.  

It’s from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill cookbook. OMG, this cookbook! My daughter, Jennifer, lent me her copy and after looking through it for maybe thirty minutes …I was hooked. I knew I had to get my own.

I followed this recipe to the letter. The one thing I want to stress is that you can easily change this up.

There are lots of folks out there who don’t care for goat cheese. There’s a substantial amount of goat cheese in this one. You could easily reduce the amount or substitute with another soft cheese such as feta, camembert or mozzarella. I recently made it with burrata cheese and it was amazing!!! If you want a little more kick, consider using a Mexican blend of shredded cheese instead of the Monterey Jack variety.

Time to move on to the star of this show. What you’ll need for the roasted poblano vinaigrette.

• Fresh poblano peppers – Poblanos offer an earthy, rich, and slightly sweet taste, with hints of a smoky quality, especially when roasted. They have a bolder flavor than bell peppers but lack the sharpness of jalapeños.
• Red wine vinegar – The acidity of wine vinegar helps to balance and enhance the flavors.
• Fresh garlic – Roughly chopped. 
• Honey – Using honey, instead of sugar, rounds out the flavor and adds a silky smooth texture to the sauce.
• Neutral oil – Any neutral oil such as avocado oil or refined coconut oil will work here. Even your favorite olive oil since the flavor is complementary to the vinaigrette. It is advisable though to avoid seed oils since they tend to be toxic when heated. 
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper – To taste.

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Brush peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Rotate until charred on all sides, about 15 to 17 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place roasted chile peppers in a bowl, covered tightly with plastic wrap.

• Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the skin to loosen.
• Peel and halve each poblano pepper.
• Remove seeds and chop roughly.
• Place the chopped poblanos, along with the remaining ingredients, in a blender or food processor.
• Puree until smooth.
• This can be made up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated.

The instructions for this dressing direct you to use your blender or food processor.  Since you’re making a small amount, 3/4 cup to be exact, a mini processor does the job.

I use my Cuisinart Mini-Prep and it is effortless. Once prepared, store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator in a covered container. If you have one of those plastic squeeze bottles, that’s perfect. That way when the time comes, you can easily apply the perfect amount of deliciousness.

You won’t use all of the dressing for your queso dip. Definitely save what’s leftover. Imagine some slathered on your next serving of grilled chicken. How about on your grilled shrimp? I’ll be trying that, for sure.

Let’s move onto the final steps in making your Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette.

You’ll need…

• Unsalted butter – It is important to use unsalted butter so that the natural butter flavor shines through without the influence of added salt. 
• Flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour is used here. 
• Milk – Whole milk is recommended. The fat content of whole milk adds to the best flavor, texture, and structure of this creamy dip.
• Monterey Jack cheese – Grated or shredded. If you shred your own cheese, you’ll avoid added preservatives and anti-caking agents found in pre-shredded cheese. Plus, freshly shredded cheese usually tastes better and melts more smoothly. Alternatively, mild cheddar or Colby cheese can be used.
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh goat cheese – Also known as chèvre, fresh goat cheese is a soft, mild, creamy cheese made from goat’s milk. It’s typically fresh, meaning it’s not aged, and has a bright, tangy, and lactic flavor. If you’re not a fan of the tangy flavor of goat cheese, substitute with another soft cheese such as feta, camembert, mozzarella or burrata.
• Prepared Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette
• Fresh cilantro – Chopped, used as a garnish. Fresh cilantro tastes pungent, bright, lemony, and a little peppery. Some folks dislike it but keep in mind that the flavor is much diminished when the leaves are heated.

• Preheat the broiler.
• Melt butter in an 8-inch cast iron pan over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute.
• Slowly whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.

• Remove the pan from the heat and season with the salt and pepper.
• Stir in the grated Monterey Jack cheese.
• Evenly place the slices of goat cheese over the top.
  
• Place the pan under the broiler and broil until cheese is golden brown on top.
• Remove from the oven.

• Immediately drizzle with the poblano vinaigrette or spoon it over the top.
• Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.
• Serve fresh from the oven while still creamy and perfectly melted.

Have your serving tray set up with your favorite chips …goes especially well with corn chips. And you can’t go wrong with offering some fresh tomato and cilantro.

Or your favorite salsa. My family goes crazy for Bobby’s Fresh Tomato Salsa. And it goes so well with this dip!

You probably noticed that I used a cast iron pan for the entire process.

It goes right from the stovetop to the oven …then onto your serving tray (with a pad underneath, of course) for a beautiful rustic presentation.

•  If you don’t have a small cast iron pan, use a medium sized saucepan on the stovetop.
• After mixing in the Monterey Jack cheese, transfer to an ovenproof serving dish and top with goat cheese slices.
• Proceed as directed by finishing under the preheated broiler.

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