Paris, Texas: Chile avec Fromage (Chile con Queso)

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

18 ounces "La vache que rit" (aka The Laughing Cow) cheese, original variety (3 wheels)

1/2 cup tomatoes, finely diced (Roma, Grape, or Cherry)

1/4 cup onion, diced

7 ounces canned green chiles, diced

1/3 pound meat - See Note, optional

1 tablespoon butter (if not using meat)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 /2 cup nonfat milk - See Note

cilantro, minced, for garnish

French baguette, thinly sliced

Note: Meat is entirely optional, although some swear by it and other swear at it. Crumbled chorizo, pork sausage, taco meat, picadillo, or brisket are the typical considerations.

Note: You can use heavy cream or anything in between if you want. Using nonfat milk just makes me feel less guilty if you give yourself a heart attack from eating this.

Unwrap cheese and reserve. If using meat, sauté meat and onion in a nonstick pan until done, then drain away excess grease. If not using meat, sauté onions with butter until translucent. Add chiles and the cheese. Stir slowly and regularly over low heat with nonstick spoon so it doesn’t burn. Add milk and salt and continue stirring. (If it doesn’t reach a gooey consistency for you, just add more milk.) Just as it starts to get nice and bubbly, add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Serve hot in a bowl (or preferably in a Fondue pot!), garnish with cilantro, with bread slices (since we’re going all French here), or with corn tortilla chips.

Found at: http://chef-du-cinema.blogspot.com/2011/05/tv-bites-paris-texas.html

All original content © Copyright 2010-11 by Ron Deutsch. Permission required for any republishing.