It’s game time! With the final weeks of NFL play upon us, it’s time for some serious game food. Sunday Night Football has become “Nacho Night” at our house. It’s a little different every Sunday depending on what is left over in the fridge…pulled pork, short ribs, rotisserie chicken. Truly a beautiful thing. These are so versatile…you can make the exact recipe, or use it as a guideline to create your own master piece. They are even more awesome when you serve them on a full size baking sheet!
Blend up your favorite canned chili with beans.
Homemade nacho cheese sauce is super easy to make.
Place a sheet of parchment paper over your baking pan.
Layer #1 Tortilla Chips
Layer #2: Blended chili
Layer #3: Nacho Cheese Sauce
Layer #4: Meat
Layer #5: Grated Sharp Cheddar and Green Onions
Layer#6: Next Round of Tortilla Chips
Easy way to dice your avocado.
- 1 large bag of your favorite tortilla chips
- 1 can of your favorite chili with beans, spicy or regular (I use Dennison's)
- dash of cumin
- 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite red salsa (I use Herdez medium hot)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk, warmed in the microwave for 20-30 seconds
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste, I often add another ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 cup plus an additional 1 cup good quality sharp cheddar cheese, grated (grate it yourself to avoid all of the anti-clumping agents they add to pre-shredded cheese.)
- 1 cup of diced/shredded meat (this time I used rotisserie chicken, but you could use leftover steak, pulled pork, short ribs, or go vegetarian)
- 2 green onions, chopped
- sliced, pickled jalapenos (optional)
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
- Add the can of chili along with the salsa and dash of cumin to the blender and blend to desired consistency. (I prefer a little chunky, but without any whole beans visible) It should easily drizzle onto the chips.
- Set chili aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour, whisking to combine it into a smooth paste.
- Let the roux cook, stirring until it becomes a light golden color. (about 2 minutes)
- Slowly add the pre-warmed milk to the skillet, whisking until the milk is incorporated and you get a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Allow sauce to thicken slightly while adding the mustard powder and salt.
- Reduce heat to low and begin adding the 1 cup of grated cheese approximately a tablespoon at a time, whisking to incorporate before adding more.
- Once all of the cheese has been added and melted into the pot, it's ready!
- Keep it on low until you are ready to use it. Once you remove it from the heat, it will begin to thicken.
- Place parchment paper over a large sheet pan so that it extends slightly beyond the edges.
- Add a layer of tortilla chips.
- Drizzle chili back and forth over the chips to cover evenly.
- Stir nacho cheese sauce then drizzle evenly over the chili.
- Cover with a layer of meat across the chips.
- Follow this with a thin layer of shredded cheddar cheese and green onions.
- Continue to layer in the same order until you have a heaping pile of nachos! (I usually do three layers of chips)
- Add jalapenos on top of final layer and bake for 5-7 minutes. (I usually know it's done when the top layer of grated cheese begins to bubble.)
- Remove from oven, add any extras like tomatoes or avocado and DIG IN!
- Enjoy!
Hands down the BEST nachos ever!! I made a batch with taco meat and a batch with rotisserie chicken. My family gobbled these up before I could get the second batch out of the oven! I doubled the cheese sauce as I knew I was going to be making a lot. They are better than any nachos I have had in a restaurant. I will be making these again and again. Thanks, Monica, for the awesome recipe!!!
Thank you Sharyn! 🙂 Love that you were mixing and matching. So glad that you enjoyed them…they are one of my families faves!