Roasted green chiles and melted Chihuahua and Oaxaca cheese bubble in cast iron—tear into it hot with warm tortillas
Ingredients
FOR THE QUESO:
- 10 oz Chihuahua cheese, cubed/shredded
- 20 oz Oaxaca cheese, cubed/shredded
PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER:
- Ace Kickstart
- 4 Anaheim/Hatch green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, chopped
- 12 flour tortillas, warmed
- salsas
Method
-
01
Heat cast iron and preheat oven
10 minGet your cast iron skillet in a 350°F oven while it preheats—you want that pan screaming hot so the cheese starts melting the second it hits iron, not sitting there cold and congealing.
-
02
Layer and stir the cheeses
1 minPull that hot skillet out carefully, add your Chihuahua cheese first, then the Oaxaca on top, and give it a good stir to distribute evenly. This prevents any one pocket from browning before the rest melts.
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03
Melt until bubbling
13 minReturn the skillet to the oven and cook 10–15 minutes until the cheeses are completely melted and bubbling—you're looking for that gooey, stretchy pull, not browning, which toughens the cheese and kills the texture.
-
04
Finish and serve
2 minPull the skillet straight to the table while it's still bubbling. Top with your roasted green chiles, fresh cilantro, and salsa, then tear into it with warm flour tortillas—this is communal eating at its best.
From Mike's Notebook
Cast iron keeps the cheese melting evenly; if it cools too fast, the bottom sets before the top bubbles.
Roast your chiles the day before so they peel cleanly without tearing into the cheese.
Oaxaca cheese strings when it melts—tear it into smaller pieces so it distributes instead of clumping.