Kick Ass Nacho Recipe

In our tailgating series of posts, we’ve gone through an awesome recipe for Baby Back Ribs: Seared, Braised and Grilled already. I can’t leave you hanging without more recipes to wow your friends and family, so today I am sharing my Kick Ass Nacho Recipe. It takes a lot of balls to say that a recipe is kick ass… but this one definitely delivers. I’ve made this a couple times before and everyone always told me that this was a kick ass batch of nachos, so the name just kinda stuck. In recent years, I’ve been asked for this recipe quite a few times but never got around to writing it down. Well people, you asked and now I’m delivering.  Thank Caroline for it too- she wanted them tonight so I made them.

This whole idea came about simply because we had eaten so many different terrible batches of nachos. I can’t stand when the chips on the top and sides of the stack are the only ones that have cheese and goodies on them. The chips in the middle are naked, neglected and unwanted. Sad, really.  It’s the rare batch that is made in layers, but even then it seems as though the chips on the bottom layer get soggy and turn to mush by the time you get there. Sure, they taste pretty good but the mouth feel is just creepy. In my mind, the nacho stack needed to be reinvented. Thus, the Kick Ass Nacho Recipe was born in a baking dish.

Refried beans are awesome and delicious.  The Kick Ass Nachos needed a good foundation, so it started with refried beans. Great start if you ask me. All nacho dishes have some type of onion on them, so we’re going to punch it up by sautéing the onions until they just begin to caramelize. No need for sweetness here or the spice of raw onion, so take it easy on them in the pan. If you love cheese whiz on nacho’s, this isn’t the recipe for you. Hit the ballpark or movie theater for that crap. Queso Quesadilla or Queso Chihuahua is what we will use- melted with some cream and mixed with some spicy chili’s. Any Mexican melting cheese will do. No cheddar either please. Throw down some sautéed beef tenderloin and chicken topped with sautéed poblano peppers, black olives and hot jalapeño chili’s. Hell yes these are kick ass nachos.

Makes 1 9X13 batch of Kick Ass Nachos

Ingredients

1 can refried pinto beans

1 can refried black beans

1 large onion, sliced

2 cups shredded Queso Quesadilla or other Mexican melting cheese

1 cup cream or milk

1 can diced hot green chili’s (or mild if you don’t want so much heat)

1 8-10 ounce package beef tenderloin tips (ask the butcher for these- cheaper than filets)- sliced into strips, cut into 1″ lengths

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- sliced into strips and cut into 1″ lengths

1 packet taco or fajita seasoning

2 medium poblano peppers, seeds removed and diced

1 bag of tortilla chips (the rounds work best for this recipe)

1 large can of sliced olives or 2 small cans, drained

1 jar pickled hot jalapeño slices

1/2 cup sour cream

In a pan, combine the two cans of refried beans. If you can’t find refried black beans, just use 2 cans of pinto. Also, I know we can make our own refried beans, but using cans for this is just easier. It’s cool, they’ll still be kick ass. Don’t worry about it. Heat the beans until they are warm and viscous. Spread them out in a 9X13 pan, just like you see below.

Spread the refried beans in the dish. Photo by Scott Groth

In a large sauté pan, add a 3 count of canola oil and heat over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the onions and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook for about seven minutes, until they just start to caramelize. Layer them on the beans. Check out these step-by-step pictures today! Next time I’ll use something other than the camera on my phone.

Layer in the sautéed onions next. Photo by Scott Groth

While the onions are caramelizing, take out a small pot and put over low heat. Add the shredded cheese and cream or milk. Melt the cheese and stir with a whisk, being careful not to let  it burn on the bottom. If the cheese is forming a ball, add more liquid and increase your heat just a bit. Stir until the cheese can be POURED out of the pot. Add the diced green chili’s and make it the next layer. We don’t use cheddar because it will separate into solids and oil unless you use really good cheddar. You dig?

Pour the cheese over the onions and beans. Photo by Scott Groth

In the same skillet you made the onions, heat another couple tablespoons of oil. Add the poblano peppers and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes. Set these aside for the time being.

Keep that skillet hot and add the chicken. Pour 1/3 of the taco seasoning over the chicken. People die when I tell them that there is Old El Paso taco seasoning on their chicken and tenderloin. Tell you what, it tastes good and it is easy. Cook that chicken until it is done and spread over half of the dish. Repeat with the tenderloin, making sure that you leave it medium rare! Spread over the other half of the dish. Now sprinkle those sautéed poblano peppers over the whole thing. Looks good- right?

Add the Beef, Chicken and sautéed Poblanos. Yumm. Photo by Scott Groth

Ok. You can hold this dish in the oven now for about 30 minutes at 200 degrees before it starts to fall apart. When your guests arrive, stud the dish with the tortilla chips. Toss on the olives and the jalapeños. If you want to get fancy, mix the remaining third of the taco seasoning into the sour cream before you plop it on top of the nachos.

Stud the dish with the chips. Photo by Scott Groth

So, there you have it. Kick Ass Nachos. Every bite is assured to have as many goodies as the chip can scoop up. The steak and chicken will be juicy- that Old El Paso really does the trick on them. Scoop up some beans, onions, delicious melty cheese, chicken, poblano, olives and jalapeños all in one bite. Damn, that’s just good. Right? They’ll disappear faster than a goldfish after the County Fair. Enjoy.

Kick Ass Nachos. Photo by Scott Groth