Friday, November 27, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm sitting here on my couch in my usual post-T-day stupor. We had a lovely day with Rick's cousins in Berryville. The amount of food was staggering! I guess that's what happens in a family of wonderful cooks.

Being completely off the hook for any of the dinner food items, we decided to contribute an appetizer. And what says "Thanksgiving" like queso? Yes, queso doesn't really say Thanksgiving, but I wanted to try the recipe and I knew this crowd would enjoy it. It was so easy, and so good. Sure, we didn't need the additional cream and cheese. But we didn't mind it either!

By the way, venison was on the menu at the first Thanksgiving feast. I doubt it was in queso form, but at least we contributed something traditional!

Venison con Queso

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground venison, browned
oil,
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 poblano chile
2 serrano peppers
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, minced
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups shredded Monterey jack
3/4 cup cream
Salt, to taste
Corn chips or flour tortillas

Directions:
Brown the venison in some oil and the chili powder. Set aside. Roast the poblano and Serrano peppers, then peel and remove stem and seeds. Slice peppers into thin strips. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and saute just until the onion is transparent. Add the poblano strips, cheese and half-and-half and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is creamy, about 5 minutes. Add browned venison. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a heated chafing dish or slow cooker heating bowl and serve immediately, along with chips or tortillas.