Crazy Nachos
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
Chipotle Taco Meat:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ripe plum tomato (about 2 ounces), seeded, cored, and diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon masa harina or cornmeal
Salt and black pepper
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Guacamole:
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Salt
Crazy Nachos:
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 corn tortillas, quartered
Salt
1/3 cup refried beans
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 whole pickled jalapenos, cut into 16 slices
Homemade or store-bought salsa, for serving
Directions
- To make the chipotle taco meat, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the beef and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is lightly browned and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the gar lic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomato, chili powder, cumin, oreg ano, cayenne, and chipotle chile. Stir until the spices are well distributed, turn down the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the masa harina until well combined, then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the lime juice and remove from the heat.
- To make the guacamole, mash the avocado until smooth. Stir in the jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and lime juice. Adjust seasonings and add salt to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- To make the nachos, pour 1/2 inch of oil into a heavy skillet and heat to 350 degrees F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, after 5 minutes of heating, you can stick a wooden spoon into the oil to see if it's ready. If the oil bubbles around the spoon, it should be hot enough. In batches, fry the tortillas for 1 minute, until golden brown, turning once. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Place the chips close together but not overlapping on a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet, and top each with 1 teaspoon refried beans, 2 tablespoons chipotle taco meat, and 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. After removing the nachos from the oven, top each with 1 tablespoon guacamole, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 1 pickled jalapeno slice. Serve warm, with salsa on the side.