Summer Squash Queso Fundido

5 from 6 votes

Summer Squash Queso Fundido

Summer squash queso fundido is a vegetarian twist on your classic queso fundido recipe! Caramelized summer squash and zucchini is mixed with charred hatch chiles and Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese to make the best party appetizer ever! It’s melty, smoky, indulgent and takes 35 minutes to make! Serve with Strawberry Margaritas for your next party!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer, dip

Cuisine: Mexican, Mexican-American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Cost: $15

Equipment

1 medium pot
1 oven-proof ramekin
1 chef knife

Ingredients

2 to 3 fresh hatch chile peppers or poblano peppers
2 medium-sized zucchini
2 bottle-neck yellow squash
3 green onions thinly sliced (ends discarded but I use the rest of it!), plus more for garnish
1 garlic clove minced
Kosher salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

Place the chiles on the grates of your gas stove. Turn the flame to medium-high heat and rotate every 30 seconds or so, charring it evenly. Once it’s charred, transfer it to a Zip-loc bag (or bowl with a lid) and seal it up. Allow it to steam for 5 minutes. Using the blade of a knife, scrape off the charred bits and discard. Chop up the chile and discard the seeds and stem. Mince up the chiles and set aside.
In a medium pot, add a teaspoon of olive oil. When hot, add the zucchini, yellow squash, green onions and a big pinch of salt. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the squash is browned, caramelized and soft. Turn off the heat and stir in the garlic. Give the squash a taste and salt it again. I ended up adding about 1/2 teaspoon of additional salt. Stir in reserved minced chiles and cheeses. If the zucchini has been cooking in a pot that’s oven-proof, feel free to transfer it to the oven to bake. Or you can transfer it to an oven-proof ramekin.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is super melty and the top has browned a bit. Remove from the oven. If the cheese has released a lot of oil (this happens!), take a paper towel and lightly absorb some of the excess oil. Garnish with green onions and serve with tortilla chips. YASSS.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

If you don’t have a gas stove to char the chiles on just pop them into the oven under the broiler. Make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Caramelize the zucchini. It might seem a little strange but this is an important step. As the zucchini and squash cooks they will release a lot of water, because of this we want to sweat it out just like with onions until it looks well browned and caramelized.

Nutrition