Momma Told Me: Sometimes life gets a little cheesy.
I still remember my first time. It was January 31, 1993; I was a mere 7 years old, with an undeveloped palette, and wide eyes that served as the window for my stomach. I could just peer over my grandmother's dining table to the rows of neon serving bowls, and see the contents within, without having to stand on my tippy toes. In the air, there was the scent of Grandpa's famous Peanut Satay mingling with slow marinated Tri-Tip; a meal, in true House family fashion,I learned would not be served for hours more. The family had gathered to celebrate the birthdays of my baby cousin and grandfather, though the rowdy crowd gathered around the over-sized projection TV were likely convinced it was a Super Bowl party. I was the only child there and, aside from terrorizing the 4 cats, thoroughly bored.
My stomach rumbled with the fierceness of a devastating earthquake, at least, that's how it seemed in my child's mind. Why should I have to be bored any hungry?, I reasoned in my head. I'd already been plucking olives from the garnish tray for an hour, but was having too much fun with my 'sea monster' fingers to actually eat them. Occasionally an adult, beer in hand, would wander past the great table paying no heed to me. They'd stumble to the far corner and scoop a handful of, what I considered plain, chips onto a plate before proceeding to grab a plastic bowl. That's when I saw it for the first time. That's when I first learned about Liquid Gold. Some of them poured neatly, well as neatly as one can contain pure royalty, while others scooped generous rivers of this golden compound directly onto their food. Like lava, the golden mixture poured off my grandma's ladle, small nuggets of tomato, onion, and jalapeno tumbling in the slide.
I was captivated. I wanted to know what was in the Large Green bowl with the liquid gold; but my arms were much too short to reach the ladle, and Momma had expressly forbid snacking before dinner. So I waited. I waited until I was certain my sneaky heist could be pulled off. When the coast seemed clear I snuck to the far end of the table and peered mischievously up at the rim of that massive Green bowl. It smelled like heaven. Like fresh nachos and melting cheese squares, with a mysterious spice that tickled my nose. Up, onto my tippy toes, I went, straining as much as my little legs would allow. Out, I stretched my arms, hands grasping the rim of the great chalice. Open, went my mouth, as the river of golden liquid came rushing over the edge. My first taste was glorious, so much so I ended up wearing this cheesy concoction; all of it. Flip went the side of the bowl, and outside Momma drug me, to lick each and every last drop off my golden coated body!
As an adult, it turns out, I can be a bit of a food snob. Eating things without question, as a child, is a gift for the growing palette. I never needed to know how mushrooms were grown, or how sausages were made, I simply ate. Up until a few years ago, every man I'd ever dated had an obsession with this Golden mistress; Velveeta. If food is the way to a man's heart, then each and every one of my exes has a heart full of Golden arteries. If I have my druthers, I'd dine on gourmet cheese of the most sophisticated cultures and aging. You will never see me reach for a slice of 'American Cheese.' There is something about the dull orange color, and the little plastic wrappers; it's not my thing. But something magical happens when I get a hold of one of those 2lb Cheesy Loafs from my local Walmart. Rivers of cheesy lava run down baked potato crevices and spreads more velvety smooth than my first boyfriend. Yes, it's incredibly cheesy, but it's my kind of cheese.
It's likely your first Velveeta experience was similar to mine, and featured the liquid gold brick melted into some sort of Queso or dip. Anyone can melt Velveeta, but are you really putting that edible gold to use in a lonely bowl at the edge of your Super Bowl spread? There's an entire archive of bold and zesty recipes loyal fans have been carefully perfecting since 1908. An amateur might try the brand's Down Home Macaroni and Cheese for a Summertime Pot Luck, while someone a little more epicurean may be won over by Velveeta's Creamy Cheddar Broccoli Soup. And, if you're lucky, like me, you've likely seen the expanded range of Velveeta products in stores. Velveeta Meal Kits and flavored cheese loafs are sold on shelves nationwide; to ensure you get the right fix of velvety cheese to make your next meal a success.
Something magical happens when that liquid gold hits our dining table and smiles break out among cheers. Okay, so my dining room isn't kitchen stadium, but I feel like a hero when I make one of my family's favorite dishes; Crunchy Nacho Chicken Casserole. Not only do the kids, and the other half, get a kick out of crumbling the Nacho Cheese chips until their hands turn bright orange, but my family has the odd habit of peering over the pot of food as cubes of Velveeta slowly melt in. Of course, any time Velveeta is involved I have to keep 'extra' on hand for cooking, because my pre-sliced cubes will disappear right off my ingredients plate! Velveeta 2lb loaves are entirely shelf stable prior to opening, which I love, and can last weeks in the refrigerator (though they never have the chance). Buying refrigerated cheese can sometimes prove costly, and I'm always happy to have Velveeta on hand with it's big flavor and smooth cooking impact.
Just the other night I was preparing to cook the chicken for my famous Crunchy Nacho Chicken Casserole, when I realized I would soon be left with half a loaf of Velveeta cheese. This was unacceptable. I couldn't simply put half of the loaf back into the fridge. It would disappear in the middle of the night with no dignity at all. Then I had a light bulb, one it seems countless twisted minds before me have had before; fudge. I would find and make Velveeta Fudge. Before you begin calling the asylum on my behalf, sweet as the gesture would be, consider all of the sweet and savory gourmet flavor profiles we already enjoy today. There's salted caramel and chocolate dipped pretzels, candied bacon, and chili chocolate....It's not that far off, and I'd bet, yes I'd bet, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I made this yesterday and invited a napping Jay and Sabrina(10) into the kitchen to lick the spoon and mixing bowl. They not only cleaned the utensils, but praised me of the indulgent creamy, chocolate, flavor the entire way!
As it turns out, Velveeta fudge is additively sweet and slightly savory, like a good cheesecake. Whether it's the obviously cheesy Chicken Casserole, classic Velveeta Queso, or devilishly sneaky Velveeta Fudge, my favorite #VelveetaRecipes are the stuff memories, and happy tummies, are made of! Stop by the brand's Facebook page to share your passion for Liquid Gold and learn about new products and recipes. Also, stop by our Google+ album to get a sneak peek at some cheesy discoveries! Do you have a favorite Velveeta recipe?
What Daughter Says: Discover how to harness Liquid Gold with flavorful #VelveetaRecipes.
Continue Reading for Special Velveeta Recipes....
Crunchy Nacho Chicken Casserole
***click here for printable recipe
Ingredients:
2lbs Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
1 (11.5 oz) Bag of Doritos Nacho
1 (10.5oz) Can of Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup
1 (10-12oz) Can of Rotel
1 (8-10 oz) Can of Corn Kernels
1 (8-10) oz Can of Cooked Pinto Beans
1 (16oz) Velveeta Cheese Package, or 2lb Loaf
1/2 White Onion
1 Bellpepper, Red/Green (Optional)
1 Stick of Butter
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350F
1. Boil or crock pot chicken breasts until fully cooked. I prefer to
crock pot a large amount of chicken at once and portion the breast meat
for meals like this. Either way, ensure you have about 2 mounding cups
of shredded chicken.
2. Saute your onion and bell pepper with your block of butter. Adjust butter to met the quantity of veggies you are sauteing. If you are forgoing the bell pepper, use about 1/2 a stick of butter.
3. When your veggies are soft add in your can of cream of mushroom (don't forget to add water for condensed), cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Next, add the can of corn, pinto beans (drained well) and Rotel. Cook on low for 10-15 minutes.
5. While the mixture is simmering slice the Velveeta into cubes, then slowly add them to your mixture. Be sure to stir constantly, while adding, and after, to ensure even melting.
6. Once all of the Velveeta has melted into the mixture combine with shredded chicken.
2. Saute your onion and bell pepper with your block of butter. Adjust butter to met the quantity of veggies you are sauteing. If you are forgoing the bell pepper, use about 1/2 a stick of butter.
3. When your veggies are soft add in your can of cream of mushroom (don't forget to add water for condensed), cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Next, add the can of corn, pinto beans (drained well) and Rotel. Cook on low for 10-15 minutes.
5. While the mixture is simmering slice the Velveeta into cubes, then slowly add them to your mixture. Be sure to stir constantly, while adding, and after, to ensure even melting.
6. Once all of the Velveeta has melted into the mixture combine with shredded chicken.
7. I use a large 4 qt Pyrex bowl, but a Lasagna Pan will do as well- Coat with a non-stick spray such as PAM.
8. Cover the bottom of your cooking vessel with a light layer (1.5-2") of the cooked mixture.
9. Crumble a handful of Doritos across the bottom layer. Repeat the
layering process, ending with a generous coating of Doritos, until the
pan is full or product is gone.
10. Cover with foil and cook 25 minutes, removing foil for the last 10 to ensure a nice crisp to the top layer.
Velveeta Fudge
****click here for printable recipe
Ingredients:
* 4 oz Velveeta Cheese, Cubed
* 4 TBS unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing pan
* 1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract
* 2 C Powdered Sugar
* 1/4 C Cocoa Powder
Directions:
1.) Line a loaf pan (9"x5"x"3) with foil. Grease foil well.
2.) In a small, non-stick, pan melt the Velveeta cheese cubes and butter together over low heat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.
3.) Meanwhile, sift together cocoa powder and sugar in a medium bowl. When the Velveeta butter mixture is evenly melted remove from heat and add Vanilla Extract.
4.) Pour Velveeta mixture over dry mixture and stir well.
5.) Scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and refrigerate 4+ hours. storing in the freezer will help in slicing. Fudge will not freeze solid.
Who knew? Cheesy fudge? Very interesting. The chicken dish sounds amazing. Your photos always make my mouth water. I'm making that one for a future barbecue. Looks great for dipping chips too.
ReplyDeleteI would never have thought of that! I love cheese and love chocolate, so it would at least be a timesaver for me. :)
ReplyDeleteVelveeta Fudge is something I would have never thought of before! Love this idea! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had Velveeta in a long time. I remember my mother serving it with pepperoni on crackers. You have made me smile - thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteOMG! I definitely have to give both of these recipes a try!
ReplyDeleteI love Velveeta but have to admit I am guilty of just melting it down into a queso for dip.
ReplyDeleteFudge is a new one for me and not one I would have ever thought of! Guess I need to get brave and try it out.
We love velvetta. We use it in a lot of recipes.
ReplyDeleteok i am drooling over here!!!
ReplyDeleteMy husband says the best dip is made from veleeta cheese! I would love to give this recipe a try. I don't think I've ever had veleeta before. How crazy is that?
ReplyDeleteI love cheese! LOL, I still need to give Velveeta a try and this definitely looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteJenna, you have such a gift of writing! I LOVE reading your posts. They always make me laugh, and are just so entertaining. Velveeta Fudge...who would of thought? lol We do love Liquid Gold in our house too. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have had cheese fudge before and it isn't as weird as it sounds. The Cheese can provide a tang and combined with the chocolate it's insanely superb.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little, my grandmother would always melt a bunch of Velveeta, mix in some chunky salsa and then give us fritos to use as the dipping chip. It was one of our favorite snacks. Your first recipe reminded me a lot of that! - Katy
ReplyDeleteOh wow this looks yummy! Definite want to try this!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Jade of
Diva Fabulosa Fashion and Lifestyle Blog
VELVEETA French Bread Pizza from their website looks delish.. I'm going to try that next! You are hilarious by the way!!
ReplyDeleteAshley Sifers
I would have never thought of cheesy fudge. I haven't used Velveeta for anything for a long time, I think the last time was for Mac & Cheese or some sort of dip.
ReplyDeleteOMGoodness! Velveeta has been around since *I* was a kid--long time! My mother and grandmother used it in yummy casseroles. I've used it with Rotel tomatoes for nacho dip and King Ranch chicken. Now I find out there is a fudge recipe! That is practically life-altering! :)
ReplyDeleteJenna...it's dinner time here and now all I want is your casserole! YUM!
ReplyDeleteYou have some great recipes and I love anything with Velveeta. It makes the very best grilled cheese sandwiches....love that stuff
ReplyDeleteI would love to try this fudge recipe
ReplyDeleteFudge with cheese? Sounds strange. I like grilled cheese sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteslehan at juno dot com
I don't think I could eat that
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of velveeta fudge... on first look, i think...no way! But, I'm always up for new things and I like to give everything a shot...so I think I'll let the kids put this one together later today...thanks for the share and the cool idea :)
ReplyDeleteOne year my cousins all made a batch of fudge, each with a special different ingredient and nobody told us what was in which fudge until after we had eaten them. There were five kinds and my favorite one ended up being the one with Velveeta. I'm not sure I would have ever tried it if I had known ahead of time, but having tried it now and knowing how good it is, I'm definitely going to try it again.
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