Killer Nachos

Coming from a family where a variety of meze on the table constituted a way of life, it is no surprise that on some days indulging in a variety of appetizers instead of preparing one large meal really feels right.

Well, today was one of those days. I was hungry, but after the food induced coma of the past Thanksgiving weekend, I was not craving any one thing in particular but wanted something light yet indulgent. Some friends called earlier in the day and mentioned that they wanted to stop by, so with my busy schedule, I did not want to embark on anything that was really time consuming…so I decided on my killer nachos. I highly recommend these to anyone who loves texmex food because they are so easy to make and everyone always leaves delighted and most importantly…full.

All you need is a large bag of restaurant style tortilla chips, some ground beef seasoned with some homemade taco seasoning, one batch of my homemade guacamole, one batch of my homemade cheese sauce, some sour cream, chopped tomatoes and you are done! If you like things a little more traditional, you can add some refried beans, dark kidney beans or even the small black beans and turn up the heat with some chopped jalapeño peppers to really make this your own….but please no velveeta cheese, leave that at the grocery store where it belongs…

Killer Nachos

1 large bag restaurant style tortilla chips

1 batch homemade guacamole

1 batch cheese sauce

2 pounds lean ground beef, cooked

4 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning

1 small onion, finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

S&P, if necessary

Sour cream

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped parsley or cilantro

Chopped & seeded jalapeño peppers **optional

1 small can refried beans ** optional

Cheese Sauce

1 large Tablespoon of butter

1 large Tablespoon of flour

1 cup whole milk, warm

S&P

4-6 cups shredded cheddar

Make the guacamole and set aside. Heat a skillet then add the olive oil and the finely chopped onion and saute this for about 10 minutes until the onion begins to caramelize. Then add all of the ground beef and combine well together. Once all of the meat is cooked, add the taco seasoning, mix well, and taste for salt & pepper. Season if necessary, cover and set aside. To make the cheese sauce, we need to start by making a roux. Add the butter to a small pot and once melted add the flour. Cook the flour for a few minutes then add the warm milk. With a whisk, stir the mixture well until it begins to thicken, then add the shredded cheese and begin to stir this in with a wooden spoon until it is well combined. I have put a range of 4-6 cups of cheese, so add enough to make it as cheesy as you prefer, then cover and set aside. Next it is time to layer the nachos. In a large oven proof dish, put a layer of the tortilla chips to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Top this with a layer of the ground beef, then the cheese sauce and the guacamole. Repeat again with the tortillas and the rest of the ingredients until you have a large glorious pile of cheesy and meaty goodness in front of you. Make sure to top this with a generous layer of cheese sauce. Put this into a warm oven for about 5-10 minutes to heat the whole thing through, and then when you are ready to serve, top this with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, parsley and cilantro and serve!  Serves 8 people.

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