Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to a low broil. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Distribute corn tortilla chips evenly onto both baking sheets or create 4 to 6 individual mounds of chips.

Pour warm Momveeta or shredded cheese evenly over all the chips, top with desired toppings, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Laura’s Tip
For a video tutorial, go to laurafuentes.com.

Momveeta Cheese
This is the holy grail of cheese block replacements. It’s been downloaded more than 100,000 times from MOMables.com and performs just as well as the store-bought fake cheese block. It’s a 1:1 replacement in any recipe that calls for the processed stuff.

16 ounces (240 g) natural American cheese
8 ounces (160 g) sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup (235 ml) milk
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Microwave Directions
Place all ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir every 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture might seem watery during the first few stirs, but should come together as a nice runny dip after all the cheese is melted.

Slow Cooker Directions
Place all ingredients in a small crockpot (one that will fit at least 4 cups [950 ml] of liquid, such as the 1.5-quart [1.5 L] size). Turn crockpot on low and cook for 2½ hours. Mix ingredients every hour to prevent cheese from sticking to the insert.

Yield: Approximately 4 cups (950 g)

Kitchen Note
If you can’t find American cheese, substitute a cheese such as Fontina or Colby, which melts perfectly in a fondue. 

Excerpted from The Best Homemade Kids' Snacks on the Planet  by Laura Fuentes. Fair Winds Press, 2015.