Nachos

Crispy, crunchy nachos made with tortilla chips, cheese, jalapenos, and leftover prime rib.  A terrific and filling snack while watching the Rose Bowl (and Orange Bowl).

 Again I have to give credit to my husband.  It was my idea to make nachos with some of the leftover prime rib but he is the one who executed it. 

I usually leave the nacho making to my husband he just does it better than I do.  I either put too much or not enough cheese and they are disappointing.  Hubby has nacho making down to an art.  He always gets the perfect amount of cheese on them and a great balance of toppings so that every chip is tasty.  Here are his tips for great nachos.

1. Patience.  Take your time and pay attention to each chip.  You don't want all of the toppings on just a few chips and none on the rest.
2.  Strategically place chips.  Keep the chips spread, rather than in a pile, so they can each get the attention they deserve.
3. Cheese first.  Always put the cheese on top of the chips before adding any other topping.  This helps everything else stick to the chip once the cheese melts.
4. Put toppings on each layer.  There is nothing more disappointing than eating great nachos only to find a bunch of empty chips on the bottom of the stack.
5. Use shredded cheese.  You can use your favorite flavor, but liquid nacho cheese always makes soggy nachos.
6. Cut meat small.  You want a good ratio of chip to meat and other toppings.  Keeping the meat small makes sure that each chip has a good bite of meat and prevents sogginess.

So with all of these tips in mind my husband sets out one layer of chips on a baking pan.  He adds cheese, meat and chopped pickled jalapenos.  The chopped jalapenos are mostly for my benefit because my husband would have no problem with a whole jalapeno ring on each chip.  Then he adds a second layer of chips and toppings.  He bakes this in a 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes to get the meat warm and the bottom layer of cheese melted.  Then broils for a couple of minutes to melt and brown the top layer of cheese.  Then the nachos are served with a side of salsa for dipping.

This basic recipe can be used for any left over meat you may have.  We've made nacho's with pork, chicken, and turkey with similarly delicious results.  You can also go with no meat and they are just fine (the meat makes them more filling, maybe use some beans to get similar results).  I hope you are inspired to make you own nachos.  Enjoy.