uhhh-mazing queso.

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We don’t care much for sportsing, but we love the food that usually accompanies it.  Ahead of Super Bowl 50 I got a craving for nacho cheese, but most recipes call for either Velveeta or a mix of cheddar, American, and Monterey Jack.  Only cheddar cheese is even an option in New Zealand, going by the name Tasty Cheese and that on it’s own is quite bland.  

Enter our saviour, Red Leicester.  I found recommendations for this dark orange cheese online, but always from English folk so I had doubts it would turn up in our local grocery.  We picked up a 20g packet for $8.00.




60g Red Leicester (shredded)
50g Gouda (shredded)
3 cherry tomatoes
handful red pepper (sliced)
1/2 cup cream
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne

1. Roast red pepper and tomatoes in oven until they begin to char, approximately 10 minutes.
2. Remove vegetables from oven and allow to cool.  Once cool, remove the skins and dice the vegetables.  
3. Place the cheese, cream, paprika, cayenne, and roasted vegetables into a sauce pan and cook on low heat for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. We’re serious about the low heat, turn it down lower! 

For more consistent results, use a small crockpot on low heat instead of a sauce pan.
  
Mmmm... cheesy

Thanks to Sweet Phi and this thread on Jamie Oliver.com for guiding me in my queso journey.  Further thanks to friends for providing cheese suggestions.

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