Go To Nachos

Ever have moments when all of a sudden there are 4-6 hungry college students in your apparent? Oh, right, some of you don't live in dorms. Maybe you have you have hungry kids' friends that showed up after a sweaty outdoor play session. Or neighbors bringing jars of jam that want to stay and chat (I want jam jar carrying neighbors!). Or maybe it's your turn to host small group and it's been a REALLY busy week and you didn't have time to plan a fancy snack. Or you're a pastor's wife and people show up at your house unplanned and hungry often. Or maybe you're just hungry! I am. These nachos are so easy it seems silly to call it a recipe. Maybe we can just call it a project. First step - always have these ingredients on hand! They are pretty basic pantry/cabinet/fridge ingredients anyway. I can't even count how many times I've fed these to people. They feed a lot of people, are super fast, cheap, and easy to make. And people love them! My RAs ask for these all the time. 

Be kind to your guests and know if they like jalapenos or not. Half of my RAs do, as do I, but half don't. Half and half is a perfectly fun game to play with this project for any and all ingredients you choose to pile atop your nachos. Nachos are sort of like ice cream sundaes - a blank canvas to create your tastiest version of yumminess. All of the ingredients I'm listing are optional (except chips and cheese I'd venture to say) and interchangeable a give or take situation. Like it? Try it! Don't? Leave it off! Like something else you think might taste yummy in the mix? Try it! This is a project, not a recipe, get involved!

Ingredients: 

• tortilla chips (Cheap ones! Don't be fancy here because you are piling a lot of ingredients on these chips. Kroger 10 for $10 is perfectly acceptable.)
• shredded cheese (I usually use the mexi blend or the queso blend)
• canned black beans
• canned dark or light red kidney beans
• frozen or canned corn 
• frozen diced cooked chicken (I always keep the Kroger version of this on hand to use for salads - or impromptu nachos.)
• frozen cooked fajita steak strips (I often keep these on hand as well.)
• lime juice
• taco seasoning (I make it homemade so I always have it on hand, put the packet works fine!)
• jalapenos
• sour cream (I use fat free)
• salsa (any ol' jar will do)
• diced avocado

Directions: 

Heat oven to LOW broil. If broil scares you or you have a tendency to forget about things broiling, just get it on a high temp, 400-ish. While the oven is heating, heat a skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil or cooking spray. Saute your frozen meats. They are pre-cooked, so you're just warming them up and giving them a little searing color. Drain and rinse your beans. Add in beans and corn. Splash in a few tablespoons of lime juice and shake in some taco seasoning. Tip - never skip lime juice in Mexican dishes! People always wonder why their at home taco nights don't taste as good as Mexican restaurants, and it's the lime! Add lime to all things Mexican. Stir and let all the ingredients get warmed up and seasoned then remove from heat.

This project wouldn't be easy if it didn't also have easy clean up, so I always line a large baking sheet with tin foil. Layer the baking sheet with chips. Heavily sprinkles half of the cooked mixture over your nachos, you want them good and covered. Sprinkle cheese. Layer more chips, add the rest of the cooked ingredients mixture, sprinkle cheese, and then add jalapenos! Bake in the oven until cheese is ooey gooey all the way melted. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and avocados on the side. I pile the avocados high on my portion and then dip the hearty nachos into salsa and sour cream.

Are you hungry now? Because I am! I'm going to the grocery store right now to stock up on these stables again. Wait, NO! I'm not. I always forget NOT to go to the grocery story while hungry. I'm going to go eat lunch, THEN stock up. Crowd approved, tummy pleasing, perfect for this Friday night for the impromptu friend gathering that might happen at your house tonight OR perfect for your PJs and Hulu night at home.

What can you add to these to make your taste buds love them even more? 

Homemade Salsa & Smashed Beans

Meal planning ideas and inspiration come from everywhere for me. Other food bloggers inspire ideas often, restaurant dishes, cravings, the Food Network and it's many shows that are often [read always] playing on my television, walks down the grocery isle, or just crazy brainstorming. 

This meal plan inspiration was a combo! First my friend and fellow blogger Emily made my mouth water and cravings begin with a salsa recipe she posted. She adapted hers from the Pioneer Woman's homemade salsa recipe. Once I knew I had to make salsa, I was on the lookout for other ideas to make it into a meal. Along came Melissa D'Arabian's Ten Dollar Dinners' chile episode. I used her Smashed Black Beans as an inspiration to make my own version. 

Note - I also added stuffed peppers to this meal that were a total flop. Melissa made cheese and corn stuff peppers, battered and fried. I tried to do a veggie stuffed pepper idea with corn, spinach and tomatoes, baked. Some recipes are great! They work out, I share them, I make them again. Some just aren't! Real life folks. Everyone creates recipes that don't work, even people with food blogs. 

Green! I told you this week's recipes could be summed up with one word, green. But seriously, how can something not be good that starts so fresh!?

Homemade Salsa 

(adapted from Pioneer Woman's recipe)

Ingredients: 

• 1 - 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes, with juice
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel, I used Great Value brand)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of jarred/bottled minced garlic (or 1-2 cloves to taste of fresh chopped)
• 1 whole jalapeno, sliced (I left the seeds, but if you don't like spicy, discard them.)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup cilantro (You either love or hate cilantro, I love it. If you hate it, leave it out or add less.)
• juice of 1 lime

Directions: 

I made mine in a big food processor, but Emily made hers in a blender. Either would work. Toss everything in and pulse/blend! Do it to a consistency that you like. I like it pretty thin. It's like your favorite Mexican restaurant's salsa, but BETTER! Yes. I said it. I like this made at home salsa even better than the Mexican restaurants' versions. 

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Yields about 5 1/2 - 6 cups. GUILT FREE! 0 points. Serve with chips. 

Look at that seed! It's got a kick. I like it, but if you are sensitive to spiciness you might want to leave out the seeds. That said, I'll never leave them out. I was quite proud of my taste buds for handling/liking it. 

I don't know why I've never braved salsa before! I always thought it was some long expensive process involve blanching and skinning tomatoes plus more. The canned tomatoes in this recipes and the simplicity won me over forever. Don't count on me serving jarred salsa to anyone again, unless I'm in an unplanned pinch. 

Smashed Mexican Beans

(adapted from Melissa D'Arabian's recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced (I left the seeds in)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons jarred/bottle minced garlic (or 3 cloves fresh minced)
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of dark red kidney beans
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid

Directions: 

Cook the onions and jalapeno in olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add cumin, oregano, salt and garlic. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add the beans and stock and bring to boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes.

Remove the beans from stove top and strain, reserving the cooking liquid. Smash beans with a potato masher. Add in vinegar and cooking liquid and continue to smash until combined and a consistency that you like.

Yields about 3 cups. Each 1/2 serving is 2 points (6 servings). Slightly larger 3/4 cup servings are 3 points each (4 servings).

And what do you do when the main dish to go with your two yummy sides that are way better than the main dish doesn't work out? Made the sides into their own main dish of course. Nachos! Layered with good corn tortilla chips, beans, a little cheese and avocado chicken warmed in the oven at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Topped with fresh chopped avocado and served with abundant salsa for dipping.