Bright, Fresh, Spicy & Delicious! Spicy Chorizo Queso & Sutter Home White Zinfandel

If you plan on spicing up your evening by serving guests this homemade Spicy Chorizo Queso dish, from AverieCooks, one of our favorite bloggers from Sweet on Spice, we have the perfect wine pairing suggestion for you.  Sutter Home White Zinfandel.  With the deliciously sweet essence of strawberry and melon, this American original from our Sutter Home Family Vineyard is so naturally light and refreshing, it makes the ideal wine partner for Spicy Chorizo Quest. If you love authentic homemade Mexican food paired with just the right Sutter Home wine, check out the full blog below from Averie Cooks, the chef behind the recipe.

Spicy Chorizo Queso – no processed cheese in this EASY cheese dip that’s ready in 20 minutes. Wonderfully spicy thanks to the chorizo. Great appetizer for holiday entertaining, parties, and game days!

I am a huge cheese fan. I consider it a food group and I can make a meal out of it. I love cheese even more when it’s warm and melted like in this spicy chorizo queso dip. I could eat the whole bowl. I live in San Diego, and being that I am only about 15 miles from the Mexican border, I hop over the border for dinner quite often because I love Mexican food, and then I hop on back.

The San Diego food scene is richly influenced by our proximity to the border, and that means that there’s no shortage of spicy food here. The spicy chorizo queso is a prime example of that.

There are no highly processed blocks of cheese in this totally from-scratch queso. To achieve a lovely, smooth, melted cheese texture, I used hand-grated queso quesadilla that I find in my regular grocery store in the cheese section. It should say something like ‘Mexican melting cheese’ on the package. Other cheeses in that section may include cotija (crumbly) and panela (slicing cheese) and while both are delish, stick with queso quesadilla for this recipe. Grate it by hand so that it melts evenly and smoothly. If you absolutely can’t find it, Monterey Jack or American white cheese from the deli counter should work.

To the melted cheese, add fire-roasted green chiles and cooked chorizo. I used pork chorizo, but beef is fine. The chorizo turns your milky white cheese into a pale shade of orange since chorizo is quite red. Between the fire-roasted chiles, the chorizo, and the (optional) jalapeño garnish, the dip is wonderfully spicy. It has the kind of heat that keeps you going back for more.

I washed down my (many) mouthfuls of spicy queso on salty tortilla chips with Sutter Home White Zinfandel. This medium sweet, chilled wine is a perfect pairing for this easy, spicy, party appetizer that’s ready in 20 minutes. #SweetOnSpice is where it’s at and Sutter Home White Zinfandel is a must have for holiday entertaining.

This refreshing American original wine delivers delicious notes of strawberry and melon.

You may recall I had another #SweetOnSpice pairing with this Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken.

Not only is this queso dip a great holiday entertaining appetizer, but save the recipe for game days and Super Bowl parties.

Averie Cooks’ Spicy Chorizo Queso Recipe Ingredients:

• One 9-ounce package chorizo, casings removed (I used pork; beef may be substituted)
• Three to four cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
• one 10-ounce package queso quesadilla, grated (Monterey Jack or American white cheese may be substituted)
• One 12-ounce can full-fat evaporated milk (you likely won’t use all of it)
• One 4-ounce can fire-roasted green chiles, do not drain
• Fresh cilantro, for garnishing
• One jalapeño, sliced into thin rounds; optional for garnishing tortilla chips

Sutter Home White Zinfandel, wine pairing for serving

Averie Cooks’ Spicy Chorizo Queso Recipe Directions:

1. To a large skillet, add the chorizo and cook over medium-high heat until cooked through. Crumble as it cooks and stir frequently to ensure even cooking. Note: The chorizo I used had plenty of fat and there was quite a bit of grease splatter; use caution when cooking if yours is similar.

2. In the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking, add the garlic and stir to combine. I prefer to let the chorizo get pretty dark so there are some very crispy bits; cook until as done as desired. Remove cooked chorizo from the skillet and set on a paper towel on a plate; set aside.

3. To a medium-high sided pot, add about 6 ounces milk, the grated queso quesadilla (Note: It’s very important that you grate whatever cheese you’re using by hand or in a food processor and don’t use bags of pre-shredded cheese because it’s resistant to melting), and heat over medium heat until cheese is melted and mixture can be stirred smooth.

4. Add the green chiles, about 3/4 of the chorizo (reserve remaining 1/4 for garnishing), and stir to combine. If desired and as necessary, add additional milk to achieve desired consistency, and stir to combine. (I added about 3 ounces and used about 9 out of 12 total ounces.)

5. Pour queso into serving bowl and top with the reserved chorizo, cilantro, and optional jalapeño; serve immediately. Queso is best warm and fresh. Tip: To keep the queso from setting up as fast, use a serving bowl that’s oven-safe that you gently heat in a low oven for about 10 minutes prior to service. Serve with Sutter Home White Zinfandel.