Saturday, February 1, 2014

Nacho, Nacho Man...

It’s Superbowl weekend! I always have mixed emotions about this. It’s the culmination of a year of hard-fought battles on the gridiron. It’s the main event. It’s even the “superbowl of commercials”, which can sometimes be more entertaining than the game itself. At the same time, it means <sniff sniff> the END of football season for six months! For those who eschew NFL football or the sport in general, this is welcome news. For the rest of us, it lies somewhere between “what do I do with all this extra time I have been spending watching games and tweaking my fantasy teams?”, and “OMG hurry up AUGUST!”

Superbowl is also a great excuse for snacking. Or simply dining on snack foods all day long. One of my favorite snack meals: NACHOS. Nachos as so very versatile, if you consider them. And I consider them a lot. I have consumed and or created countless varieties: simple Tex-Mex nachos – chicken or beef or chorizo, Mediterranean nachos, Italian nachos… For today, we will go with two different chicken varieties: Tex-Mex Chicken, and Buffalo Chicken.

Another thing that is awesome about nachos, beyond the explosion of flavors and textures, is that you can so easily tweak them to your own liking. Measurements are mere guidelines. Dig through that refrigerator for leftover meat scraps. Experiment! They can range from over-the-top indulgence to a reasonably healthy treat. It’s all up to you. Many restaurants serve nachos as thicker single chips dressed in deliciousness and then broiled (nom nom), but at home I typically do the “pile it on” method – it’s just easier that way.


TEX-MEX CHICKEN NACHOS

1  medium bag tortilla chips (try to find the bag that doesn’t look like it was kicked around – the more intact the chips are, the better)
½ can refried beans
1  8-oz bag of shredded Colby Jack cheese
2  cups shredded cooked chicken
¼  cup sliced or diced pickled jalapenos
2 tbsps finely diced fresh onion
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp granulated onion
½ tsp granulated garlic
¼ tsp Mexican oregano
½ tsp salt
1  tsp lemon pepper
Sour cream 

Preheat oven to 400. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat. I like to line the pan with non-stick foil, since we are dealing with ooey gooey melty cheese.
Shred and chop chicken into small chunks no larger than 1 inch. This is a great use for leftover chicken, baked, broiled, sautéed, smoked (oh yes, smoked is the best!).
In a small bowl, mix cumin, onion, garlic, oregano, salt and lemon pepper. When well-blended, mix in with shredded chicken.
Heat the refried beans in a small pan, and mix with a couple of tablespoons of water to thin the consistency to where you can plop the mixture onto the chips without having to spread it (but not so thin that it would be runny and make the chips soggy). For more awesome beans, add bacon grease instead or in addition. Oh yes.
Arrange your ingredients so that you can access them and work quickly.

Once your oven and baking sheet are preheated, place the baking sheet on your stovetop and start the assembly. Pour a nice, thick layer of tortilla chips across the hot pan. Drizzle and plop the refried beans evenly over the bed of chips. Sprinkle on all the cheese. Evenly distribute the seasoned shredded chicken. Sprinkle on the jalapenos, and lastly the finely-diced onion. Return to the oven, and cook for approximately 10 minutes. If you are like me, you will cook them just a bit longer, until the chips start to brown on the edges, the cheese bubbles, and the onions release that slightly caramel fragrance.

Serve with a side of sour cream and/or guacamole.




BUFFALO NACHOS

Combining two great snack tastes – buffalo wings and nachos. This is one to be careful with, as the wing sauce can overpower the dish if you use too much. You will definitely want to sample your shredded chicken as you dress it, to make sure it does not stray beyond the “palatable” zone. The photo above shows an abundance of buffalo sauce, and then more added after assembly. I was a glutton for punishment that day...

1  medium bag tortilla chips (try to find the bag that doesn’t look like it was kicked around – the more intact the chips are, the better)
1  8-oz bag of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2  cups shredded cooked chicken
2  tbsps of your favorite WING SAUCE. I use Frank’s buffalo sauce, but the possibilities are endless.
¼ cup fried onions
Ranch Dip or Blue Cheese dip

Preheat oven to 400. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat. I like to line the pan with non-stick foil, since we are dealing with ooey gooey melty cheese.
Shred and chop chicken into small chunks no larger than 1 inch.
Toss shredded chicken with wing sauce, and taste. If you need more flavor, go for it.

Once your oven and baking sheet are preheated, place the baking sheet on your stovetop and start the assembly. Pour a nice, thick layer of tortilla chips across the hot pan. Sprinkle on all the cheese. Evenly distribute the sauced, shredded chicken. Sprinkle on the fried onions. Return to the oven, and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Or cook them just a bit longer, until the chips start to brown on the edges and the cheese is bubbly.

Serve with a side of Ranch dip or Blue Cheese dip.


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