Loaded Nachos

These nachos are not dripping with Velveeta or liquid cheese, but are crisp, crunchy and flavored with a generous portions of real cheese, spicy refried beans, green onions, roasted chicken, jalapeños, sour cream, and salsa.  Add black beans, corn or substitute ground beef for chicken.

If you miss the yellow liquid stuff, heat it separately in a bowl for dipping and drizzling on your own pile of chips. Otherwise, your nachos are going to be soggy and soft coming out of the oven.  UGH!


This version of nachos is just one suggestion. Great for movie night or game-day from home.


Equipment:
Large cooking sheet / pan with edges
PAM spray
Foil, makes clean-up easier if available

Ingredients:
1 bag (or a combo) of your favorite chips (would not used 'Baked' bc they get soggy)
10-12 oz of Monterrey-Jack / Cheddar cheese, grated
1-2 cups of roasted chicken, shredded from your store-bought bird
4-5 green onions, chopped
Fresh or pickled 'nacho' jalapeños, as you desire
1 (14oz) can of refried beans
Fresh salsa
Sour Cream

Other options:
Salsa con Queso
Cilantro
Guacamole
Black Beans
Olives
Ground beef or chorizo
Corn

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
3. Spray your cooking sheet or layer it with foil, then spray it.
4. Cover the sheet with a layer of chips.

5. Sprinkle your cheeses.

6. Add some chicken.

7. Add the green onions and jalapeños.

8. Add dollops of refried beans out of the can across the spread.
9. Add some more cheese.

10. If you have enough ingredients, repeat another layer.
11. Bake for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted.

12. Serve with fresh salsa, heated queso, guacamole, and sour cream.

Fiery Black Bean Burritos

In light of my recent post on reducing food costs, I thought it might be useful to provide concrete steps in doing so.  Aside from learning a few cooking skills to avoid the costs of pre-packaged, processed foods, another sure-fire way to reduce your grocery bill is to eliminate meat one or two days a week--or go completely vegetarian to really cut costs!

Fiery Black Bean burritos are simple and rich in flavor and complexity without a whole lot of thinking or doing!  Additionally, it provides huge amounts of protein, low fat and sugar content, and has a lot of fiber.  You can certainly buy the beans raw and save even further, but using canned black beans is definitely a feasible alternative, and a huge time-saver.  Cost:  $1-1.89 / can.

Equipment:
3-quart sauce pan
Knife, for chopping
Measuring spoons
Stove top with functioning burners

Ingredients:
2 cans (15oz) black beans
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeños, diced and seeded unless you like a lot of heat
1 Tbls red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 - 1 lime, juiced
1 tsp of honey
1-2 tsp of hot sauce, depending on how hot you want it

Fixin's:
Flour, corn or wheat tortillas
Cheddar cheese or Cojita cheese
Tomatoes
SourCream
Avocado
Salsa
Corn
Green Onions
Sauteed bell peppers and onions, ie like Chipotle's fajita mix

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Empty the beans into your saucepan and set heat to "LOW-MED".

3. Prep, chop, dice, and mince all of your other ingredients.

4. Add to the beans:
---garlic
---jalapeños
---salt
---pepper

5. Add red wine vinegar and lime juice, starting with 1/2 of lime.

6. Add your honey

7. Add the hot sauce.

8. Stir and combine all ingredients and let simmer on LOW, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

9. Prepare all the fixin's and set the table!

10. Begin your assembly line--you'll forget all about the meat!

11.  Wrap it up and take a bite...hmmmm! Satisfying!