Nachos, for me, are probably the most traditional appetizer. My boyfriend, Tom, is visiting for the weekend and he requested nachos with a creamy cheese sauce so I set out on a search for something that would satisfy his craving and found a recipe for "Super Nachos" by Rachel Ray. I followed her recipe with some adaptations. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef because it's healthier (and was on sale). I used a taco seasoning packet instead of/in addition to her spice recommendations and omitted the jalapeno pepper in the mix. I added a can of Mexicorn to the meat and bean mixture. And I used jarred salsa instead of making pico de gallo because the tomatoes at the grocery store didn't impress me.
Well, they got the seal of approval. Tom said, and I quote, "These are the best nachos I've ever had". And I'd have to agree. They were pretty tasty. I credit my heavy hand on the spices because usually we have to add hot sauce to everything and it wasn't necessary with these (but if you don't like the heat, just omit or seriously cut down on the spices). I also used multigrain chips which gave a nice sweetness to counter the spice. I also thought the addition of the corn added flavor to the dish. The only change I might make to this dish is that if you hate soggy chips, you should probably only put the chips on the outside or switch up the order of the layering of the ingredients. I put the cheese sauce on first but if you want your chips to stay crispier you might want to put the cheese sauce on last because it's kind of liquidy. I might even cut down the milk in cheese sauce by a half of a cup. However, I don't mind a couple soggy chips because then I can reach for the fork and dig in :)
Also, this recipe makes a ridiculous amount of nachos. Luckily I recognized this and didn't assemble them all so we have enough to make two more huge batches in addition to the gigantic platter that we just shared as a meal. I left the recipe as is but if you're not feeding a small army, cut it down or only put together half of it and save half for the next day.
Now I have to go watch the Packers/Bears game. Everyone should root for the Packers so that I don't start my week off in a bad mood. There's few teams I hate watching the Packers loose to other than the Bears. At least I'll have nacho leftovers to console myself tomorrow if they lose.
Super Nachos (adapted from Rachel Ray)
- 2 bags of multigrain tortillas
Meat, Beans, and Corn Topping:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 – 1 1/3 pounds of ground turkey
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 packet of hot taco seasoning
- ½ tablespoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can of Mexicorn, drained
Cheese Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups skim milk (could reduce by ½ cup)
- 3/4 pound reduced fat pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups
Additional toppings to choose from, optional:
1. Arrange two bags of multigrain tortilla chips on a platter.
2. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and saute 2 minutes, then add ground turkey and crumble with a spatula. Season meat with taco seasoning, cumin, cayenne pepper, and Max Hot (or any other hot spices that you like). Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and Mexicorn and reduce heat to low.
3. In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.
4. Pour cheese sauce evenly over the massive spread of chips and top evenly with beef and beans and half of a can of salsa. Serve immediately as is or, garnish with your choice of extra toppings (I used the ones listed above).
Nachos, fall beer, and football? Yes please!
Look at this happy guy.
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