Queso Fundido Skillet Cheesy Sweet Potato Bake in One Pan

Imagine a skillet of sweet potatoes and red peppers roasted until caramelized, bathed in smoky chipotle cream and covered in bubbling Oaxaca cheese. This queso fundido bake brings the flavor of a Mexican cheese dip to a hearty one-pan dinner. Every bite pairs soft, sweet vegetables with a stretchy, golden cheese crust, finished with fresh cilantro and a bright slice of red chili.

This skillet dinner turns a classic queso fundido into a substantial meal built around orange sweet potatoes and red bell peppers. The vegetables are cut into even cubes, seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin and garlic powder, and roasted in a hot cast iron skillet until they caramelize at the edges.

A smoky chipotle cream sauce is poured over them, then the skillet is blanketed with freshly grated Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheese and baked until bubbling.

Finished with chopped cilantro and sliced red chili, the bake comes straight to the table from the pan, so you can pull out a portion with a crisp, cheese-stretching edge. It suits a relaxed weeknight dinner or a casual gathering where everyone can gather around one skillet.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Roasting the sweet potatoes and peppers in a very hot cast iron skillet creates browned edges and sweet, concentrated flavor that boiling or steaming never reaches. Cast iron holds heat evenly, so the cubes brown on the bottom while the centers stay tender. Stirring only once lets each side develop color before the vegetables finish cooking through.

The chipotle cream sauce works as both a seasoning and a binder. Heavy cream carries the smoky heat of the minced chipotle chile and its adobo sauce into every gap between the vegetables. Simmering it briefly thickens the sauce so it clings to the cubes instead of pooling, and it helps the cheese melt into a single, smooth layer on top.

Notes and substitutions

Oaxaca cheese is a stringy, mild Mexican melting cheese, and Chihuahua is a similar semi-hard cheese that melts smoothly.

Grate them from a solid block rather than buying pre-shredded packages, because the anti-caking coatings on bagged cheese can make the melt grainy. If you cannot find either cheese, Monterey Jack or low-moisture mozzarella are reliable choices that stretch well.

A 12-inch cast iron skillet is the ideal pan because it goes from stovetop to oven and keeps the heat steady. Use a box grater for the cheese and a sharp chef's knife for even cubes.

Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce give the sauce its smoky depth; use one chile for a mild warmth, or add a second if you prefer more heat. Remove the seeds from the peppers so the dish stays colorful and mild.

• Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheese: Monterey Jack or low-moisture mozzarella, grated fresh from a block
• heavy cream: half-and-half, though the sauce will be thinner and may need a few more minutes to reduce
• orange sweet potatoes: yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes, cut to the same size

Equipment

• 12-inch cast iron skillet
• box grater
• cutting board and chef's knife
• medium bowl
• whisk
• spatula