Okay I admit, I’m a little crazy about dips. Eric and I joke that we’re the opposite when it comes to dipping things. I like to pile the dip on; to me the chip, cracker, dumpling or vegetable is just a medium for the dip. But sometimes when I’m feeding Eric crackers and dip on a car trip he says, “Too much dip, I need more cracker!” For him the dipping implement is the base for a light accompaniment of whatever tasty dip is featured that day. I wanted some easy comfort food the other day, and had a little bit of leftover ground chorizo in the freezer. I thawed it out and starting mixing things to make something with three factors that add up to comfort food – cheese, sausage and dipping. I divided it into equal amounts in separate bowls for Eric and I and determined something interesting. In the end, we eat the same amount of dip, I just have less crackers!
On another note, we’ve been getting a lot of visitors lately. I was outside napping in a lawn chair because of the blessing that my first day off in four weeks coincided with one of our few days of sunshine! Some strange crunching noises woke me and at first I thought that more branches were falling off of our poor diseased apple tree. When I opened my eyes, there was this fuzzy guy looking down at me.
I jumped up and quickly assessed that there were not one, not two, but FIVE raccoons climbing around our trees…in broad daylight! Three of them were babies like this cute little guy, the other two were full grown.
As you can see in the photos, they were absolutely adorable. In fact the babies looked quite cuddly! I get excited about animals like raccoons that we don’t have in Hawaii, but I’ve heard enough stories to know that raccoons are not in fact cuddly.
After taking a million photos, I ran inside to google animal control in our area. I discovered that it’s provided by the county, not the city, and only for dangerous animals that are threatening humans. Their advice for raccoon problems is to latch garbage cans and not leave food outdoors. That’s a little hard when we have trees filled with apples, plums and (I think) hazelnuts. Even if they’re bug ridden this year and we can’t eat them, the raccoons didn’t seem to mind.
I wasn’t too worried about our safety, but our cat Cappuccino is de-clawed (not by us, we found him abandoned as a stray with no front claws). He already got a nasty wound on his throat that abscessed and just healed up. I did not want to risk these raccoons getting comfortable in our yard and making it unsafe for him to go out.
I tried grabbing a rake and beating the tree and fence to scare them off shouting “Get out of here raccoons!!!” No look, they just stared at me like I was crazy and made purring noises.
Next I grabbed the hose, thankful I had previously attached two hoses together to be able to reach all the way to the back of our yard. I held the nozzle at arms length, got the biggest raccoon in my sights, and squeezed. I’ve never seen a raccoon move so fast!
They scampered across the fence and ran up the tree of the house behind us. One poor baby raccoon got separated and stuck up in our tree. As he shivered in fear on the tree I tried to decide the best way to reconnect him with his family. I discovered that he wouldn’t move while I was spraying at him or even if I stopped spraying. But if I sprayed right above him he’d start scrambling down toward the fence.
He finally joined up with his clan and our trees were raccoon free. It actually took an hour to get them all out! At the end of that experience was when I decided I needed comfort food. I love animals and hated scaring the raccoons to get them to leave, even if it was a human method of getting rid of them.
The dip hit the spot and its cheesy sausage goodness gave me the warm fuzzies by the time I finished it. You don’t have to save this for yourself though, it’s perfect for a party or small gathering! By the way, if you’re as crazy about dip as I am, here’s some of my favorite dipping recipes like Chinese Plum Sauce, Hummus, Salmon Dip, Peanut Sauce, and Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Chorizo Cheese Dip Recipe
makes about 2 cupsIngredients
3/4 cup or about 6oz uncooked ground chorizo sausage
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup light sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)
1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 TBS chopped cilantro
Instructions
In a large skillet cook the chorizo on medium heat until browned. Drain the fat off, or use paper towels to blot it up.
Pour half and half and milk into the skillet and return skillet to low heat. When warm, add sour cream and cheddar to skillet. Stir continuously until cheese is melted. Stir in crushed red pepper.
Sprinkle the dip with crushed red pepper and cilantro and serve as a dip for chips or crackers, or pour over chips to make nachos.
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Nutritional and cost information is for estimating purposes only, and subject to variations due to region, seasonality, and product availability.
FAQs
Cook and stir chorizo in the hot skillet until well browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain well and transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in diced tomatoes with chiles, cream cheese, and processed cheese. Cover and cook on Low until cheese has melted, stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Which cheeses go well with chorizo? ›
Seriously Sharp + Chorizo
Seriously Sharp's bold flavor and texture is a perfect match for the spicy, smoky taste of chorizo. Place chunks of Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese, diced chorizo, and green olives on small skewers for a fun, festive, and flavorful appetizer.
What pairs with chorizo? ›
Chorizo is a dry-cured pork sausage with a salty, smoky, slightly sweet flavour. Perfect in pasta, or paired with chicken in paella, and you can't beat a tomato and chorizo risotto or frittata.
What is Mexican chorizo made from? ›
It's traditionally made with finely ground pork, although many other types of meats, like offal and plant-based alternatives, are also used these days. Mexican chorizo features a bit of paprika, but most of the color and flavor come from local chiles, like pasilla.
What's the difference between Mexican chorizo and chorizo? ›
Mexican chorizo is generally a fresh sausage and is usually cooked like ground meat or other sausage links. Spanish chorizo, on the other hand, is a dried cured sausage with a completely different texture.
What is authentic Mexican cheese dip made of? ›
Queso blanco is usually made from asadero cheese (or white American cheese) shredded and melted in a pot with skim milk or half and half and pico de Gallo. It's popular at Mexican restaurants throughout the South, not just Georgia.
What makes chorizo taste good? ›
Mexican chorizo is typically seasoned with vinegar and chile peppers, while Spanish chorizo is made with garlic and pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika, either sweet or hot), which gives it its deep brick-red color and smoky flavor.
What are the rules for chorizo? ›
As a general rule, Spanish chorizo must contain pork, paprika, garlic and salt – but there are hundreds of different varieties found across Spain which riff on the original recipe and come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and textures.
What kind of cheese goes with sausage? ›
Smooth, semi-soft cheeses like Havarti, butterkäse, or Muenster are perfect, with a neutral background that lets the sausage's seasonings shine. A sharp Cheddar (any Cheddar, really) or Swiss is also a fantastic match, with nutty notes that perfectly complement the smoke and acidity of the sausage.
How is chorizo traditionally eaten? ›
Perhaps the most traditional way to eat Mexican chorizo is to add it as an ingredient to a tortilla. This is great for any number of meals or ingredient mixes. It lets you create a wide variety of meals you love from just a few simple ingredients.
Chorizo recipes
- Butter bean & chorizo stew. ...
- Chorizo & apple sausage rolls. ...
- Chorizo & root veg bulgur wheat. ...
- App onlyFish & chorizo stew with confit garlic aioli. ...
- Waste-nothing loaded potato wedges. ...
- Potato, leek & chorizo soup. ...
- Mushroom & butter bean toasts with crispy chorizo. ...
- Chorizo & pea risotto.
Traditional Chorizo de Pamplona uses equal parts beef and pork, and is packed into sausage casings with smoked paprika and seasoning before being cured and air-dried. One of Spain's most famous regional chorizos, Chorizo de León is renowned for its intense spicy flavour.
How do Mexicans eat chorizo? ›
Use as a dip or spread on tortillas, tostadas, or bread. Topping: Top sopes, tostadas, nachos, or Mexican pizza. Refried beans: Stir into refried beans to eat as a side dish or as a spread for molletes or tortas. Stuffing: Combine with other ground meats and use to stuff a roasted turkey or other fowl.
Why is chorizo so cheap? ›
Some of the cheapest commercial chorizos use offal stuffed in inedible plastic casing to resemble sausage links, rather than muscle meat. Before consumption, the casing is usually cut open and the sausage is fried in a pan and mashed with a fork until it resembles finely minced ground beef.
What is the best way to cook chorizo sausage? ›
3 Methods for Cooking Chorizo
- Grilling. If you enjoy cooking outdoors, grilling chorizo sausage is an ideal way to get some fresh air while giving the chorizo a smoky flavor. ...
- Broiling. Broiling chorizo in the oven is an easy way to expose the links to high, direct heat while locking in their flavor. ...
- Pan-Frying.
It's Spicy
Mexican chorizo is typically seasoned with vinegar and chile peppers, while Spanish chorizo is made with garlic and pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika, either sweet or hot), which gives it its deep brick-red color and smoky flavor.
Is chorizo a pork or sausage? ›
Chorizo is a highly seasoned pork sausage that is very popular in both Mexican and Spanish cooking. It's a staple in many of the Mexican dishes that are on Isabel Eats! While I mainly use Mexican chorizo in my recipes, it's good to know that chorizo comes in two forms: fully cooked or semi-cured: the Spanish version.
What parts of the animal is chorizo made from? ›
Spanish chorizo is usually a cured and hard sausage made from coarsely chopped pork. It is often made from cuts of pork such as the loin, jowl, belly, and sometimes the shoulder, though it always contains back fat for its rich fat content (via Masterclass).
Is chorizo a beef or pork? ›
Traditional Mexican chorizo is made with pork. And while it's not uncommon to find chorizo made with beef or even chicken, pork chorizo is the best choice if you want to taste authentic Mexican-style chorizo.
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