Date Night c/o the Chopping Block

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My awesome Grandma gifted Ryan and I with cooking lessons Chopping Block for Christmas. She knows how much we love to cook and I can honestly say this was one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received. Did I mention that Grandma is 95? Homegirl is on her game.

“Date Night at the Hacienda” was our chosen class so it was an evening of Mexican cooking and Spanish wine drinking. Aside from getting to cook in that amazing kitchen with all of their awesome cookware (I die for le crueset), it was a really nice evening. The Chef was knowledgeable, I learned some new techniques and it was really, really fun to do something different for date night.

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The Queso Fundido and the Chocolate Cajeta Flan Cake were the standouts that we will 100% make again. I am not really a cheese person but this Queso…well, I probably had a solid pound of cheese that night so there’s that. Here’s the recipe- I highly recommend it, especially with Memorial Day weekend coming up!

Queso Fundido
1/4 pound Mexican chorizo
1 onion, medium dice
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups grated Chihuahua cheese
2 T cornstarch
1 Cup pale lager (I.e. Corona)
2 T tequila
2 T cilantro

Sauté chorizo and onions in cast iron pan over medium heat until onions are caramelized and sausage cooked. Add garlic, cook additional minute.

Toss cheese and cornstarch together. Add beer and tequila to onion mixture and cook til heated through. Gradually add cheese until melted and smooth. Stir in cilantro. Serve in pan with tortilla chips- legit, solid, non-wimpy (read: thin and breakable) tortilla chips.

I leave you with a picture of the Flan Cake business that we made…this was so much better than the strawberries and orange I had for “dessert” tonight.

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