Nachos originated from northern Mexico. It is essentially baked tortilla chips covered in cheese and topped with various toppings such as salsa, sour cream, hot sauce and so on. This dish is usually served as a starter or a snack.
Everyone goes crazy over nachos but little did they know that it’s super easy to prepare. It goes great during family dinners, and you even have the chance to awe people with the nacho-making skills that you are about to learn. Who am I kidding? You don’t need special skills to prepare this dish, but it can be our little secret!
The ingredients used in this dish are commonly found, and you will be done in no time.
Ingredients:
Spice Mix
- 2 tablespoons of chilli powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon of granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper or to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper ( if you want it spicy)
Nachos
- 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 16 ounces or (2 cups) or refried beans either canned or homemade
- 1/4 cup of water
- 4 ounces (about 2 cups) of cheddar cheese that are grated and more for topping
- 4 ounces (about 2 cups) of Colby Jack cheese that are grated and add more for topping
- 1 cup of pico de gallo either store-bought or homemade, add more for topping
- 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
- 1 sliced jalapeño either pickled or fresh
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to about 178-180°C.
- Make the spice blend: mix all of the spices together in a small bowl.
- Prepare the beef and bean topping by heating vegetable oil on medium-high heat until it starts boiling. Add ground beef to the pan and season it with the spice blend. As the meat is cooking, use a fork to break the meat up into shreds.
- Cook for about 8 minutes until the meat has turned brown and drain the fat using a colander.
- Return the meat to the pan and add refried beans and some water. Heat the mixture until the beans are smooth and warm. Reduce the heat to low and keep the mixture warm while you prepare the chips.
- Toast the chips: On an oven-safe platter or a sheet pan, arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer, overlapping them slightly. Toast them in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, or until you begin to smell their aroma.
- Assemble and bake the nachos: Carefully remove the pan from the oven and top it with one-half of the shredded cheese. Allow the heat from the chips to melt the cheese slightly before topping the chips with the beef and bean mixture.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the beef and place in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Top the nachos with pico de gallo, chopped cilantro, jalapeño slices, or any of your favourite toppings. Serve while hot.