This week’s blog will focus all its attention on three popular dishes that will ensure all your guests are happy with your hosting and Mexican cooking skills. This week's blog brings you dishes that are popular all across Mexico: Queso fundido, melted cheese with chorizo ​​is served as an appetizer to share at the table; Guacamole, the classic that always ensures success and that completes all meals; and Michelada, the Mexican take on Bloody Mary, perfect to impress with your Mexican cocktail skills. 

These are dishes that are typical all across Mexico and it is common to see them served in restaurants, especially while getting together in big groups watching a football game. These Mexican appetizer recipes will be perfect to make for any sports watching events, like the Super Bowl, or for any family gathering. The best thing about these recipes is that they are easy to make, and the result is delicious – the perfect formula.

So, we hope you enjoy these three recipes and please let us know in the comments below if you plan on making any one of these! We would love to hear your thoughts!

The Main Star: Queso Fundido

Queso fundido is a recipe with fairly simple steps to follow: sweat the poblanos, fry the chorizo, ​​and melt the cheese, no difficult steps here! This is a delicious dish that works great with a side of fresh handmade tortillas, flour, corn, or both! If you prefer to use corn tortillas, check out a recipe to make them from scratch here.

You will need:
Ingredients (approximately 6 servings)

• 150 gr of a good melting cheese, shredded.
  The best ones are usually asadero, manchego, chihuaha, and oaxaca, usually a mix of al of these. However, if you don't get any of these cheeses, you can also use Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella cheese. We strongly suggest mixing them to create a perfect texture.
• 50 grams of Chorizo
• Flour Tortillas (150 gr)
• 1/4 of Onion, finely diced (35 gr)
• 1 Poblano pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of frying oil

You will also need a casserole dish, a cast iron would be great for this, but you can always use any other dish that is safe for baking.

Preparation

Begin by “sweating” the Poblano peppers. This is, roast them until skin is blackened and there are blisters in the skin. Then remove peppers from the fire and place them immediately in a closed plastic bag and let sit for 20-30 minutes with a kitchen rag on top to let them steam. Finally peeling off as much blackened skin as possible (more detailed instructions in our chiles rellenos recipe, here). For this recipe we will need to dice the peppers. Start by removing the stem and then remove all seeds and veins. Cut the chile into thin strips and finally dice in small cubes.

Next, we will fry the chorizo. Begin by heating your cooking oil and, when ready, sauté the diced onions for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Once transparent add the chorizo, adding salt and pepper to taste. Wait until it is almost brown and add the diced poblanos, incorporating all ingredients together and letting the chorizo finish browning.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Once the chorizo is browned, add your shredded cheese to the pan and allow it to melt while incorporating all ingredients together.

Once the cheese is mostly melted, add your cheese with chorizo to an oven-safe dish (not necessary if you are using a cast iron or oven safe pan, as you can transfer from stove top to oven) uncovered and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and has been bubbling for at least 3 minutes. Then, broil for about 3 minutes, or until some parts of the top of the cheese are golden.

Meanwhile, while the cheese is about to be ready, heat about 6 tortillas on a griddle over medium heat for about 45 seconds on each side. Transfer the heated tortillas from the comal to a tortillero (check out our whole collection here) and take it to the table.

There you have it, a nice looking, delicious queso fundido. With the combination of our three main ingredients, cheese, chorizo, and peppers a luscious and interesting contrast is generated. On the one hand, the soft and fresh flavor of the cheese is combined with the smokey flavor of chorizo while the spicy flavor of poblano peppers add the last kick needed for it to be *just* right. 

The Classic: Guacamole

A vegan recipe for which there is not one, unique recipe. There are many types of guacamoles in Mexico: each one has its own recipe that varies according to the region to which one belongs and, even more important, to the way we were taught making it. Though there is not one correct or consistent way to make guacamole, everyone agrees on what the basic ingredients are: tomato, onion, serrano peppers, lime, and avocado.

You will need:

• 2 Avocados (ripe)
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• ½ or 1 lime
• Salt to taste.
• Optional: ½ small serrano pepper, diced (this is optional depending on your tolerance for spicy food. More on Chiles at the end of recipe)

Preparation:

Dice the onion and tomato.

Cut the avocados in half up to the bone and turn each part separating the two halves. Remove the bone but don’t throw it away. Leave it together with the guacamole as it is said to prevent the avocado from oxidizing, that is, turning brown.

“Mash” the avocado. Traditionally in guacamole the ingredients are mixed in a molcajete, or mortar, using the pestle to blend and mix. However, for practical reasons, we do it with a fork and in a bowl. We want to smash the avocado until we get a more or less an irregular pasta with bumps. Be careful not to over smash it as there is be more mixing ahead. Add the juice of ½ a lime directly to the avocado and use the fork to incorporate into the avocado.

Mix everything with the reserved tomato and onion. Add a pinch of salt. Taste to see if it needs more salt or lime. And, as you taste, mix everything together using encircling movements so as not to change the irregular texture.

Done, you have some delicious guacamole. Some people like to add finely chopped cilantro, which will provide more flavors to your guacamole. In the same way, some people prefer the taste of guacamole to be more on the “lemon-y” side whereas others prefer it to barely taste like lime, this is completely up to you!

A note about Serranos… We consider this an optional ingredient because, although we are passionate about spiciness, we know that there are some who just don’t tolerate it. Think about this if you are preparing guacamole for others and, if you do want to make them for your love of spiciness, consider making one big guacamole and then dividing it into two: one with chile and other without. Another option is to use fresh Jalapeños instead, which provides a level of spice, but not as hot as serrano peppers.

The serrano peppers should be diced as finely as possible to prevent people from consuming too much in just one bite. The smallest, the better. Some advice if you are unfamiliar cooking with serranos is to I wear gloves because the spiciness can be dangerous if you rub your eyes afterwards. 

Micheladas, an easy-to-drink cocktail.

A michelada is a Mexican drink made with beer, lime juice, assorted sauces, spices, tomato juice, and chili peppers. It is served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass. Very similar to a Bloody Mary, with a spicier and more seasoned taste. There are numerous variations of this beverage throughout Mexico and those who have the best recipes refuse to share them as they know they could make a living out of this! Today we bring you an easy version that everyone will love and that will go great with your queso fundido and guacamole.

For each michelada you will need:

• a chilled glass
• 1 Beer, we recommend Mexican brands like Corona
• ½ Lime Juice
• ¼ cup Clamato tomato juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, no special brands here.
• 2-4 dashes of Tabasco Sauce, or any other spicy sauce you like.
• 1 tsp Maggi Seasoning Sauce, we highly recommend you use Maggi, but you can use soy sauce if Maggi is unavailable.
• Salt
• Chili powder, we like Tajín.
• Ice.

Preparation:

Begin by preparing the chilled glass you will use. Cut a lime in half and use it to rub around the lip of your glass. This will help the tajin stay put. Sprinkle Tajin on a small plate or bowl and dip the lip of your glass in the seasoning until covered.

Fill the glass with ice. Add lime juice, and a dash of tajin chili powder. Now, pour Clamato tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco Sauce, and Maggi Seasoning Sauce into the cup and mix it all together with a strainer until the mixture has blended. Serve with cold bear on the side or pour beer, depending on your taste!

¡Salud!

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If you plan on hosting a gathering and making any of these appetizers, don't forget to check out our Kitchen collection, we might have that special touch you are looking for in tabletops, linens, and serveware!

So, what do you think? Are these recipes ones you have tried or cooked before?  How do you make guacamole? do you have a "secret" for micheladas? Share with us and all to see!

Also, do you plan on making these recipes anytime soon? Have you made any of our recipes yet? If so, we would love to see you in action! Please don't forget to tag us in your social media @Lolomercadito and subscribe so that we can continue sharing all the love!