This is a typical spicy cheese sauce from Peru that is frequently used over sliced and boiled potatoes. The dish is a wonderful and simple supper starter that I developed based on my experiences living in Peru. Serve over boiled potatoes at room temperature or cold. Garnish with sliced boiled eggs, kalamata olives, and paprika (or rocoto, if you have any).
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 20 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 aji amarillo peppers, seeded and chopped, or more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 2 cups crumbled queso fresco
- 4 saltine crackers
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; saute onion, aji peppers, and garlic until onion softens and mixture is bright yellow, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender; add milk and blend until smooth. Add queso fresco and crackers to mixture and blend until sauce is smooth and the consistency of thick yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.
- Finding the aji can be difficult, but I’ve had luck just purchasing it online, through Amazon(R), for example. This is often an appetizer course.
- You can also use 1/2 cup jarred aji paste in place of the raw peppers. Shredded mozzarella cheese can be used in place of queso fresco. Whole milk can be used in place of evaporated milk.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 194 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 27 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Sodium | 123 mg |
| Sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Made the recipe exactly as posted. My peruvian husband said it was perfect! My both fully enjoyed it with potatoes, and some egg and olive !