Qdoba Copycat Queso & Ghoulish Goodies Giveaway

Halloween being my favorite holiday, I thought I’d kick off October with a giveaway. A winner for the totally adorable and doable monster filled cookbook Ghoulish Goodies will be drawn on October 13th.

For your part, leave a comment with your favorite Halloween food or recipe.

This queso sauce/dip won’t be in there though, but it’s an idea I’ve been meaning to tackle for awhile. My family really likes Qdoba’s queso and I wanted to create a copycat. After a few variations I feel this one is pretty close to the real one, but please let me know what you think.

The spooky chips are "Frights Bites Tortilla Chips" from the local grocery store.

Qdoba Copycat Queso
You should be able to find Philadelphia Cooking Creme in the refrigerator section near the cream cheese. Print Recipe

2 poblano peppers
10-ounce container Philadelphia Cooking Creme
8-ounce package Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/4 cup water
Cayenne pepper, to taste

1. Place peppers on a hot grill or under a broiler. Blacken the skins on all sides. Place them in a paper bag and roll top down to seal. Set aside until cool to touch, about 30 minutes. Peel off skins and discard seeds and stems. Chop peppers very fine.

2. Add chopped peppers, cooking creme, cheese, tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and paprika to a medium size pot and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

3. Add the cilantro, water and cayenne pepper and stir for another minute or so until it thickens to preference.

4. Turn off heat and serve immediately as a dip or sauce.

Recipe & photograph by Laura Flowers.

Real Chiles Rellenos

A cell phone picture with my half eaten plate doesn’t do this dish justice, but I’m a lazy photographer and didn’t take my camera to my parents’ house this weekend. I had other plans, like golf and more golf. Not shooting and styling pictures of truly amazing Mexican breakfasts.

My Dad spent two early morning hours making these chiles rellenos with freshly picked poblanos from the garden. Who does that? For crying out loud I had toast and tea for breakfast this morning.

I think I might be pouting a little and need a Sunday morning do-over. Starting with breakfast and ending with lots of golf. I’d even settle just for another fresh-fried chile relleno.

Real Chiles Rellenos
"Chiles rellenos, that classic Mexican dish of cheese-stuffed fried peppers, is made from scratch in this recipe. Make the stuffed peppers ahead of time and freeze; then take out and fry another day to make your dinner preparation easier." Print Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
4 large poblano peppers
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging

1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Cholula®)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 egg whites at room temperature
1 egg yolk, beaten

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed
Sour cream for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the peppers onto the prepared baking sheet.

2. Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 8 to 10 minutes per side. When the peppers are about 80 percent blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins. To reduce spiciness, rinse out any remaining seeds with water. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels.

3. Mix together the shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks. Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

4. To make sauce, blend the stewed tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cinnamon. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce until reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often.

5. Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C), and warm a platter in the oven.

6. To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter. Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter.

7. Heat frying oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side. Remove peppers to warmed platter while you finish frying. To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce. Serve peppers hot with a dollop of sour cream.

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes

Nutrition Information
Calories: 418; Total Fat 22.9g; cholesterol 89mg; Sodium 880mg; Total Carbs 33.9g; Fiber 4.9g; Protein 21g

Recipe submitted by *Fat~Dog~Lane* to AllRecipes.com.

Simple Fresh Salsa

Some years we get ripe tomatoes and others we get frozen green ones. Fortunately, this year we’ve been enjoying an extended hot summer so there are plenty of garden ripe tomatoes to pilfer out of other peoples’ gardens. 



If you do attempt to steal produce don't forget to laugh evilly as you sneak away.



Simple Fresh Salsa

Whether on eggs, grilled chicken, beefy tacos, or crunchy tortilla chips this simple little salsa tastes better when you snag a few tomatoes from your parents’ garden. 



2 to 3 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 tablespoon lime juice

3 tablespoons cilantro, diced

2 teaspoons minced jalapenos

Salt to taste



Mix together, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.



Makes about 1 cup.



By Laura Flowers.

Slow Cooker Green Salsa Chicken

I don’t know about you, but it’s been busy around here this week. Clara’s school started back up, we’ve had golf lessons, gymnastics, cycling group and on and on.

So really, this is just a shortcut version of Pollo en Chile Verde because I needed something quick and flavorful to save me from feeding my family fast food these super packed few days.

We ended up eating (inhaling) this soupy dish by itself with whole-wheat tortillas the first night, the next day for breakfast with black beans and scrambled eggs, and the following day stuffed into quesadillas.

So even though the 2 1/2 pounds of chicken needed for this recipe was expensive, I feel like I more than got my money’s worth in leftovers.

Slow Cooker Green Salsa Chicken
Print Recipe
Serve with tortillas, rice and beans if desired.

2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
16-ounce jar thick and chunky mild green salsa
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Stir the ingredients together in a slow cooker. Set on high for 5 to 7 hours. Stir occasionally if you’re around.

2. To thicken sauce, during the last hour or two of cooking time, carefully remove the lid as not drop the water from it back into the sauce. Shake lid into the sink and wipe it dry. Replace lid and repeat periodically until sauce is thickened to taste.

8 Servings.



Amount Per Serving:
Calories 177.9 Total Fat 2.1 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 82.2 mg Sodium 519.8 mg Potassium 515.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 4.6 g Dietary Fiber 1.1 g Sugars 0.0 g Protein 33.7 g

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.