I love Mexican food. In fact, sometimes on long runs I dream about the margarita I am going to have later. However, my stepping inside a Mexican restaurant is dangerous territory. Before we even order, before our food even arrives, I have already consumed about 10,000 calories because I go nuts with the chips and salsa. It is ridiculous. And no, I cannot stop it.
We have a great little restaurant near us in Lincoln Square in Chicago that we love to go to. Garcia’s might not serve the most traditional of Mexican food but it is greasy and tasty and everything I dream about during my long run. And since I get rungry, we always go for an early Saturday dinner (like 5:30pm) because there is always a wait and this hungry runner cannot manage to wait for her chips and salsa.
A few weeks ago Rock went out with his brothers for a little afternoon adventure and we had planned to meet up later for dinner. It was a Saturday and we had done a long group run earlier in the day so it was basically assumed that we would head over to Garcia’s when he got home. After my lazy post run nap I was feeling a bit antsy and adventurous so I decided to head out and get my own fixings for a Mexican fiesta. I did a little research and found that one of our favorite recipes, queso fundido, is incredibly easy to make.
Okay, this recipe is not the healthiest thing around. What I love about this is how you can whip it up in just a few minutes, pop it in the oven, and feed a bunch of hungry mouths. This would be a perfect appetizer for a party, especially if you were to throw in some salty margaritas too. I didn’t think we needed to eat five pounds of cheese or chorizo so I made a few batches and cooked them in small Corningware ramekins. These were the perfect size for two and if you did this for a party you could scatter them around several buffets.
Ingredients:
1 package of chorizo (about 5 or 6 links)
1 large package of Chihuahua cheese (or mozzarella)
Hot sauce (optional)
Tortillas
Cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Remove chorizo from casings and cook over stove top until crumbly and mostly done. Spray ramekins with cooking spray. Cover each ramekin with a layer of cheese followed by chorizo. Add another layer of cheese and chorizo and then pop into the oven. Rock prefers spicier food than I do so he adds a dab of hot sauce too. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Serve with warm tortillas or chips.
What is your go to food after a long run? Do you have self control when it comes to tortilla chips?
Running On Healthy 
OLE!!! BRING ON THE MEXICAN FOOD. I don’t care how unhealthy that is. It looks and sounds completely delicious!
“Rungry” is the best thing I’ve heard in a while. Also I love your early dinner idea – just wait until that little one is a bit bigger and that’s a normal time to eat! Now we get invited out to dinners at 7 or 8 and we can’t make it that long! We have to snack!
Haha, we have to snack now as it is. Sometimes Rock will remind me to eat so we don’t walk in and look like ravenous runners at the snack table. It is embarassing. It will be great to have a little one to blame it all on 😉
Mexican food is my absolute favorite, and I have zero self-control when it comes to chips and salsa, especially restaurant style. There’s a place near me that has killer shrimp tacos and ridiculous nachos, and their house margaritas are $6 and are served in pint glasses. Oy, I’m making myself hungry!
Everything you just wrote about sounds amazing. Sometimes I have a hard time not ordering nachos while I’m scarfing down chips and salsa. Talk about self control issues!
I think we all know that I have absolutely zero control around chips. Even wen I know that they are bad chips, I will keep going back for more! And I’m just as bad about salsa–give me a spoon, I will eat it all.
Oh I know how bad they are and it doesn’t stop me. And when it is empty and they ask if you want more “Yes” pours out of my mouth before I can even think.
I love Queso Fundido! Thanks for the recipe. Have you every had it from Big Star? Soooo good.
I love love love Big Star but somehow never got it there. What was I thinking?! It’s on my list for next time for sure!
I think I’ve had that at a Mexican restaurant before. So good and so greasy! I’m starving.
I totally understand! I feel the same way.
YUM! Mexican food is the best. Jesse and I are fish taco connoisseurs. We rarely have cheese in the house because Jesse’s lactose intolerant, but give me a vat of guac, and it will be demolished.
Oh guac is one of my favorites too. I am mildly lactose intolerant but it has never stopped me. Sad but true!
Oh, you know I love me some Mexican food! Tho to be honest, people in Texas don’t really trust the Mex restaurants north of our border. 😉 Looks good!
I’ve heard that about our Northern “Mexican” food. Traditional tacos make me very happy. I’m always amused by Northern Michigan “tacos” and my husband was appalled when he first saw how many places offer something called a Wet Burrito. Pretty gross.
I grew up with Chi Chi’s in Ohio. I didn’t know what I was missing!
LOL exactly!
Looks yummy! I love Mexican food & usually dream of a big burger during long runs.
Haha, I have totally done the same. Sadly we use burgers as our pre-long run meal. That way I get all my cravings in.
That recipe looks so good!!! I, too, love Mexican food and I can’t stop eating the chips and salsa. I just finished dinner but now I’m kind of craving some chips and salsa.
They are so dangerous. I think the consensus is we runners love our chips and salsa!
I love Mexican food – I would totally eat it everyday if I could. And we’re lucky enough to have two really great places nearby. One does the most amazing moles and the other has amazing fish tacos. But the chips and salsa at the start are impossible to resist!