Southwestern Chili Cheese Fondue

I guess I had a bit of a theme birthday this year, since my parents got me a fondue pot (they must have read this post) and my brother got me a fondue recipe book.

When my brother and sister-in-law visited us, we were flipping through the book and decided to attempt one called “Southwestern Chili Cheese Fondue.” It looked pretty delicious so after a trip to the grocery store, I set to work making it.

First step: grate 8 ounces each of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, and then toss the cheese with a tablespoon of cornstarch.

This recipe had a lot of ingredients and had a lot of steps in terms of putting them all together, so rather than run around my kitchen frantically, I decided to prep everything in advance.

First, onion and red bell pepper, finely diced.

Then, 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped.

And finally, jalapeno pepper (seeded) and garlic, both minced.

Okay, finally ready to get started. First, heat some oil in a pan and saute the onion and bell pepper. Then add in the tomatoes, jalapenos, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the moisture is cooked off.

Then pour in a lot of half-and-half, and bring to a boil.

Break up a package of cream cheese into chunks and add that…

Stir it until it’s all melted and creamy, and then gradually add the Monterey/ cheddar mixture from step one. Stir in lime juice, cayenne pepper, and cumin, then put it in the fondue pot and top with chopped cilantro. Voila!

We served with sausages, tortilla chips, soft flour tortillas, and fresh red bell pepper sticks.

Time consuming, my friends, but well worth it.

If you’d like the recipe, check out “Great Party Fondues” by Peggy Fallon. I don’t think I’m allowed to reproduce it for you. But I might be persuaded in an email