Cheese Chicharron

Cheese.  I’m a cheese snob.  It’s partly Sam’s fault, but Angie enables this habit.  I often spend more on cheese than all of my other items combined!  Plus, you’d be disappointed if I didn’t share some cheese recipes!  Speaking of the Packers...

This is a really yummy, snack or appetizer.  It is easy, peasy, lemon squeezy to make!  I saw this on Rick Bayless’ show.  He’s also on PBS and has several restuarants in Chicago.  I’ve been to La Frontera.  It’s really great.  It was summer, we ate outside, in Chicago!  

For the first time in my life, I have a gas stove.  If you know me, I’m always yammering on about how great cast iron pans are.  I don’t think that they’d be as great with electric.  I have two cast iron pans.  I’ve found glass lids for each of them.  I don’t think that “non stick” pans are good for us.  Plus, I like to cook things fast and super-hot.  That is very bad in a non-stick pan, but very good in a cast iron pan.  It takes some getting used to, but I make everything in my two cast iron pans, a 2 quart stainless steel sauce pan (like for boiling pasta), and my pressure cooker.  I even make toast in the cast iron pan!  It makes the items cooked nice and brown.  It can go from the stove top to the oven, and clean up is easy!  I just wipe them down with a paper towel, when they are cool, of course.  You can always just stick them in a really hot oven (450 or 500 degrees) for cleaning.  Mine are really seasoned, so nothing sticks.  You want to get the pan really hot before adding ingredients.  I often heat mine up while I’m preparing the ingredients.  

This is such an easy recipe, I feel a little bit bad (not really).  One ingredient!  Cheese!

About 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely shredded cheese.  You can try different kinds.  I used mozerella.  

Get the cast iron pan nice and hot.  Sprinkle the cheese around the pan, evenly.  You can roll the pan around to spread out the melted cheese.  If you use a cheese with more fat, you’ll need to “blot” the oil off of the top with a dry paper towel.  This is not necessary in a cast iron pan with a low fat cheese.  The edges will brown first, but be patient!  Start to loosen up the edges with a spatula and work your way in, toward the middle.  Once the whole piece will come lose, flip it over.  Both sides will be crisp and brown.

Remove from pan and fold in half.  It’s pretty “moldable” while it’s warm.  It’ll become brittle, like a chip, as it cools.  Serve on a large plate with salsa or guacamole.  Break off pieces and dip!  This is really good with a glass of red wine.  You’ll need to practice a little bit to see how much cheese works in your pan.