THE ALTON BROWN RULE:

Cheesy Dips

In terms of versatility, a fondue pot is the opposite of a cast iron skillet. I happen to own both, and I bet you can guess which gets more play in the kitchen. You would think that melted cheese would be the one arena where the fondue pot would emerge victorious, but the skillet's ability to retain heat keeps cheesy dips melty and gooey, no candle required.

If it's easy, cheesy decadence you're after, the above video shows you how to make a super simple yet complexly flavored chorizo queso fundido, which combines roasted poblanos, delicious chorizo, and mozzarella into one tasty skillet of magic.

If you want something a little smoother, America's Test Kitchen has a great recipe for beer and cheddar fondue in their new book Cook It In Cast Iron, which combines 2 cups each of American and cheddar cheeses with 1 ½ cups beer of boiling beer, a clove of garlic, and some other tasty spices. The secret to keep everything nice and flowing? A bit of cornstarch, which is tossed with the shredded cheese before being added to the beer. If you don't have that book yet, give Ina Garten's baked fontina a try. (It's basically just a skillet of melted cheese, but really, how bad can that be?)

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