When you go to the local Mexican restaurant, you order nachos to munch on before you order dinner, right? Why not make them at home for a special treat. They are easy, and you can make them as healthy or ooooey-gooooey as you like. Personally, I like them really loaded with as many ingredients as I can find in the fridge. You cannot make a mistake if you keep adding on things like olives (all colors), green onions, fresh tomatoes, sour cream....you get the idea. I have even taken stale chips – yeah like there is such a thing in my house – and melted the cheese on top of them using the microwave. Seems the chips crisp up in there after just a few seconds.
You can even make these for a lazy dinner meal. Put your feet up with a good movie and munch away!
8 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds (680 grams) lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground pork
¼ cup ground chili powder, if you have made your own, use ancho-guajillo combination
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2½ cups black beans, cooked and drained (measurement is AFTER cooking) – canned is OK, but rinse
them first – those cans of beans have industrial sludge on the bottom
3 cups frozen corn, thawed or canned, drained
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
tortilla chips
green onions, sliced – white part only
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves only
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
shredded Chihuahua or cheddar (or better yet, a combination) cheese
avocado
sour cream
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it is very tender, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the beef, chicken or pork and sauté until brown, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and oregano; stir 30 seconds. Add the beans, corn, and tomato sauce. Cover; simmer until the meat is cooked through, and the other ingredients are hot, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Line 8 serving bowls with tortilla chips. Spoon the meat mixture over the chips. Top with the green onions, cilantro, lime juice and then with cheese. At this point you can eat it without melting the cheese, just add a few spoons of sour cream to the top. OR you can pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt the cheese, then top with sour cream.
Many households here do not have microwaves or ovens, so the cheese is left unmelted. It does, however, melt a little bit because the beans and meat mixture are hot. I prefer the melted cheese, you know that ooooey-goooey thing from before!
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