The Ultimate Nachos

Nachos can really bring out the beast in us all. A big pile of crunchy, cheesy, meaty, spicy goodness.....argh, argh, ug, ug...oh yeah!!! I'm back now....sorry. Ok....But if you're going to really step this thang up 10 notches you can't have store bought corn chips or Velvetta cheese. I know, I know it will take some effort. Not as much as Highballs brisket or Simon1's meatloaf, but enough to make the wife, kids and dog cry.

-Fresh corn tortillas quartered and fried
-A mixture of good melting cheeses, like American, fontina and sharp cheddar, melted together, made into a cheese sauce
-real chili and not from a can. A great substitute is pulled pork or chopped grilled steak
-pickled jalapeños
-maybe a little shredded iceberg lettuce
-creme fresh...no sour cream please
-hot sauce on top, home made pico de gallo or fresh salsa

Smells great!
sometimes I have to settle for homemade guacamole and store bought chips!
of course, a dos Equis!
And since we're in Shaving forum, some TOBS avocado cream!

I'll probably be run off the ranch for this but ---

I thought these looked and sounded interesting. I like cauliflower. Might try 'em this weekend and see how good they are. The more calories I can knock out of my "splurge" foods, the more often I can splurge!

"Cauliflower Nachos"
Quick video: https://www.facebook.com/delish/videos/10154406452737437/

INGREDIENTS
2 small heads (or 1 large head) cauliflower, chopped
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 c. Colby-Jack, shredded
Salsa, for serving
Guacamole, for serving
Pickled Jalapeños, for serving


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
To a large baking sheet, add cauliflower. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle all over with salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Roast for 35-40 minutes until golden and crispy.
Top with Colby-Jack cheese and return to oven until melted, 5 minutes more.
Garnish with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and pickled jalapeños.

DoctorShavegood said:

Nachos can really bring out the beast in us all. A big pile of crunchy, cheesy, meaty, spicy goodness.....argh, argh, ug, ug...oh yeah!!! I'm back now....sorry. Ok....But if you're going to really step this thang up 10 notches you can't have store bought corn chips or Velvetta cheese. I know, I know it will take some effort. Not as much as Highballs brisket or Simon1's meatloaf, but enough to make the wife, kids and dog cry.

-Fresh corn tortillas quartered and fried
-A mixture of good melting cheeses, like American, fontina and sharp cheddar, melted together, made into a cheese sauce
-real chili and not from a can. A great substitute is pulled pork or chopped grilled steak
-pickled jalapeños
-maybe a little shredded iceberg lettuce
-creme fresh...no sour cream please
-hot sauce on top, home made pico de gallo or fresh salsa

Click to expand...

Where's the photo?!!!!

kluber said:

Where's the photo?!!!!

Click to expand...

I'm hoping someone else will step up....soon.


....by dinner time would be nice.

Sounds great. For mine, I'll take it with pulled pork, no lettuce, and please use sharp cheddar and sour cream. PM for my address when my batch is ready, and thanks!

I like them with deep fried wonton wrappers instead of the corn chips.
After that, it doesn't matter much to me what goes on top.
the wonton wrappers are so light and crispy.
I'm getting hungry now.

Graybeard57 said:

Sounds great. For mine, I'll take it with pulled pork, no lettuce, and please use sharp cheddar and sour cream. PM for my address when my batch is ready, and thanks!

Click to expand...

Order up!!!!

I have no idea why this thread is making me so hungry.

maxman said:

I like them with deep fried wonton wrappers instead of the corn chips.
After that, it doesn't matter much to me what goes on top.
the wonton wrappers are so light and crispy.
I'm getting hungry now.

Click to expand...

Great idea. I'll need to remember that one.

DoctorShavegood said:

Order up!!!!

I have no idea why this thread is making me so hungry.

Spoiler

View attachment 676264

Click to expand...

I may need to take an early lunch today...

I can't recall ever having nachos with meat on them, strictly vegetarian nachos, well as long you allow dairy into your "ism".

Is homemade creme fraiche a necessity? We usually use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream wherever that's called for.

dave

sarimento1 said:

Smells great!
sometimes I have to settle for homemade guacamole and store bought chips!
of course, a dos Equis!
And since we're in Shaving forum, some TOBS avocado cream!

View attachment 676204

Click to expand...

Bahahahaha

maxman said:

I like them with deep fried wonton wrappers instead of the corn chips.
After that, it doesn't matter much to me what goes on top.
the wonton wrappers are so light and crispy.
I'm getting hungry now.

Click to expand...

SO MUCH THIS!

I had pulled pork nachos in Milwaukee a couple of years back, and they used fried wonton's instead of chips and it was amazing. When I make pulled pork nachos at home, that's what I use.

When it's typical nachos, I usually use my parents' "Super Nacho" recipe, which isn't really a recipe so much as a guideline. I break out the pizza stone, assemble a base of chips, add toppings (beef, refried beans, black olives, onions, cheese) and keep adding layers until it resembles a pyramid. When done, put it in the oven til things get warm and yummy (and sometimes the cheese gets a little crusty too .. YUM!). Take out, serve with sour cream, salsa and whatever else makes you happy.

langod said:

I'll probably be run off the ranch for this but ---

I thought these looked and sounded interesting. I like cauliflower. Might try 'em this weekend and see how good they are. The more calories I can knock out of my "splurge" foods, the more often I can splurge!

"Cauliflower Nachos"
Quick video: https://www.facebook.com/delish/videos/10154406452737437/

INGREDIENTS
2 small heads (or 1 large head) cauliflower, chopped
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 c. Colby-Jack, shredded
Salsa, for serving
Guacamole, for serving
Pickled Jalapeños, for serving


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
To a large baking sheet, add cauliflower. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle all over with salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Roast for 35-40 minutes until golden and crispy.
Top with Colby-Jack cheese and return to oven until melted, 5 minutes more.
Garnish with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and pickled jalapeños.

Click to expand...

I would eat the crap out of that ... sounds yummy

davent said:

I can't recall ever having nachos with meat on them, strictly vegetarian nachos, well as long you allow dairy into your "ism".

Is homemade creme fraiche a necessity? We usually use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream wherever that's called for.

dave

Click to expand...

Sometimes we'll grill up some chicken and beef fajita's and put them on top. The restaurant's around here will offer with or without meat.

Well that's just great. Between the recipe and the photo posted later I drooled all over my keyboard and had to call lan for a new one.

A lot of times we'll use a meat concoction that we also use in tacos and burritos some.

1 pound ground beef
1 16 oz. can refried beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 tbs. cider vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cumin

Mix ground beef and refried beans in skillet and heat until browned. Stir in onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook until onion is tender. Add rest of the spices and simmer about 15 minutes or so stirring occasionally.

For the Nacos:

Layer tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Spoon meat mixture on each chip, place a jalapeno slice on top of each, add shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Cheddar, etc.) and place in oven until cheese melts. Remove from oven and top each with salsa (at times we'll use tomatiilo salsa...recipe to follow), sour cream, and sliced olive or whatever else you would like.

Tomatillo Salsa (a lot of times I just make this using however many tomatillos I have and mix stuff in until "That looks about right."):

1 pound (about 12) fresh tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 jalapeno or serrano chilies, seeded and minced
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Take the husks off the tomatillos, wash and finely chop. Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 3 days for flavors to blend.

Yeah Aaron, the meat mixture is pretty good. It makes too much to use all of it for a baking sheet of nachos so we use the left-overs later. Nuke the meat and put it on a warm tortilla, along with whatever else we want on it, and make a soft taco/burrito thingy.

My favorite taco filling though is some thinly sliced skirt steak grilled in a cast iron skillet, with some onion and maybe a bit of sliced green bell pepper grilled in the skillet also, then throw it on a warm flour tortilla and sprinkle on some chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Nachos with breakfast sausage are different, but good. What, breakfast sausage? Yes, breakfast sausage.

If you don't kill the pig yourself, or have a butcher nearby, use the Tennessee Pride brand of hot breakfast sausage. Live in an area where Tennessee Pride isn't available? You're living wrong. Move.