How do you nacho?

[ipsedixit]

Aside from the usual cheese, guacamole, sour cream, chili, salsa combo of one sort or another, what do you put on your nachos?

[andlulu]

Re-fried black beans,grilled chicken,tomatoes & feta.

Mmmm.....

[boogiebaby]

Leftover diced steak, refried beans, cheddar and monterey jack cheese, and diced onions on top of yellow corn tortilla chips. Broil until the cheese is melted, then top with shredded lettuce, green onions, sour cream, salsa, and jalapeno rings. Yum!

[Missy2U]

Mine are a lot like canapes as well - I use good quality round chips, spoon on some salsa, then cover with shredded cheese and bake them. Sometimes I add a slice of jalapeno, sometimes a tiny bit of leftover taco meat, sometimes a bit of green onion. When they're done, I serve them on a plate with a bowl of sour cream.

[Heatherb]

A place near me did them with barbecued pulled pork in addition to all the other traditional fixings. I had one delicious, near-transcendental experience, and then the place closed. Would love to make them at home, but it is very hard to get your hands on good barbecue pulled pork in Jersey. And it seems like a lot of trouble to go through to make it myself just for a plate of nachos.

[saeyedoc]

Take each individual chip, smear some refried black beans on it, some crumbled chorizo, shredded cheese and roasted and chopped jalapenos, serranos and poblanos. Arrange in a single layer and bake at 425 until hot and bubbly. Serve with guacomole, sour cream and salsa on the side.

[RiJaAr]

sometimes i layer seasoned ground beef, tomatoes cheese, jalapenos, green onions, peppers, or any combination fo the above, but more often i use seasoned chicken breast, tomatoes and cheese...

[happycamper]

refrid beans at the bottom to anchor the chips. topped with a layered of sharp cheddar. broil. lettuce, tomato, olives, chili, tobasco, avocado, and sour cream mixed with cayenne.

hm mmmmm!

[ballulah]

Ooooh! I like the sour cream and cayenne idea!

[Loren3]

One trick is to buy tons of top-notch jalapenos at the farmers market in the summer, and toss them in the freezer. Then, throughout the year you pull one out and slice it with a sharp paring knife and have fresh jalapenos on your nachos.

So many dilemmas, though:

stacked vs. piled
cheese/jalapeno only vs. add ons like beans/beef/chicken
fresh vs. pickled jalapenos
sharp cheddar vs. jack vs. queso
salsa or no salsa
broiled vs. waved (as an expedient)
and so on.

[geekgirl]

The best nachos are made with a very 'wet' shredded beef, Mexican jack cheese, guacamole, refried beans, sour cream and green onions. Broiled, of course.

[Loren3]

Unless you are vegetarian! And sour cream ruins them! Makes 'em soggy.

[ballulah]

My favorite nachos are like little canapes, maybe they're a little bit "twee" but I don't care, I love them. You have to buy a good sturdy round chip, spread with a layer of refried beans and lay in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Top with cheddar or monterey jack, and chopped green chilies (no thanks, on the pickled jalapenos). Broil until the cheese is melted.

I have a million and five variations on nachos, but this is my favorite.

[prunefeet]

You know this is pretty much how I like them too. I like to spread each with refried beans, top with cheese, and each has to have a jalapeno slice. Chorizo is very nice but optional. I don't like the pile of chips with scattering of cheese or cheese sauce approach.

[HillJ]

We prefer the chips separate from the layers. So our nacho recipe is more of a casserole with a side of fresh chips. Does anyone else prefer this method?

[macca]

Yup- that's how I like them, too. We also have what we call "summer nachos". Need a large late or platter.Layer of sour cream, sliced avacado, jalapeno's, fresh salsa, cilantro and topped with shredded cheese. Chips on the side. Serve cold. Great to bring to a cook out. Can add black beans, scallions or whatever you like.

[larochelle]

Where I'm from that's called "7 Layer Dip" (even if you don't do 7 full layers).

[macca]

My SIL makes a 7 layer dip- but it is cooked, and includes refried beans. Good- but the uncooked ones are really fresh tasting.

[yumyum]

I like two different styles of nachos -- each perfect in their own right, just for different food-moods.

1 -- "composed" nachos -- freshly fried chips topped with mexican cheese (my local market carries several different quesos) and a perfect jalapeno slice, briefly melted under the broiler. Serve with a squeeze of lime and maybe some pico, but the key is the simplicity. First had these at a fancy resort in Mexico and love to serve a tray as a nice appetizer in the summer with lots of cold beers for my guests.

2 -- "train wreck" nachos -- chips, can be store bought, layered in a pyrex with heated up refried beans, seasoned ground beef or leftover carnitas, cheese, and finely chopped white onion with cilantro. Bake until melty and top with thinly sliced scallions, more cilantro. Serve with salsa fresca, sour cream and guac on the side.

I love nachos.

[Rubee]

Spread a layer of chips on a big oven-proof platter. Next, a generous amount of shredded cheddar. Add another layer of chips and cheese, and add sliced jalapenos, and some cooked spicy ground beef, leftover carnitas, or shredded BBQ chicken. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Garnish with scallions and cilantro. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

[larochelle]

I use the broiler so the cheese browns & crisps

[hooliganyouth]

This is how I make mine. Cheers to ya.

[Veggietales]

scarily enough, yesterday I fell to my desires and had Nachos from 7-11 with jalapenos and can I tell you it still takes the cake of any elaborate homemade nacho concoction.

It's that scary nacho cheese that comes from the machine. You know that that stuff is kept at a dangerous temp, optimal for bacteria breeding.

But I can't say no. Next time I'll get it with the machine chili.

[Glencora]

A scattering of black beans. Makes it healthy, no?

[Chocolatechipkt]

That's what I tell myself! :)

[normalheightsfoodie]

If you are looking for a healthy alternative, skip the nachos and have some watercress

[Candy]

I do them the old un-evolved way the way my parents did them. Cut fresh corn tortillas into wedges and quickly pan fry until crisp. Top each wedge with a good sharp cheddar and a pickled jalapeno ring.

[queenie]

I'm a nacho purist, too. Quality chips, sharp cheddar & pickled jalapenos. If I ever add anything, it will be finely diced fresh summer tomato sprinkled on top maybe with a little cilantro and sweet Vidalia. Okay - I guess that's almost salsa, huh...

[Candy]

Yeah the rest of the evoved toppings kind of turn what was something simple in to 1 layer chilaquiles. Not nachos.

[chef chicklet]

layer, beef, cheese. chips, and salsa, then on top guacamole, more beef, cheese sour cream cilantro, tomatoes and green onions. Lots of cheese, jack and cheddar both. but sprinkle mexican queso on top when done/oh almost forgot the jalapenos!

[ipsedixit]

Is that a casserole or a lasagna? :-)

Sounds great.