Nacho Cheese

What do you call cheese that's not yours? Nacho cheese! Ha ha. Well, this evening I had a craving for the ultimate bar food without actually having to be in a bar. It's one of those dishes that I stare at as it's coming out of the kitchen but never order because who wants to eat 10,000 calories and a ton of sodium at one sitting?

My version is a little healthier and much lighter than the typical bar fare. I start off by making my very own taco seasoning that I mix with the ground beef.

I made a big batch of taco seasoning and used a portion of it for the nachos. I put the rest in a Ziploc baggy and store it in the freezer. To make taco seasoning combine 2 T. chili powder, 3 tsp. ground cumin, 3 tsp.sea salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and dried oregano.
On an oven-safe plate, I added Trader Joe's organic white corn chips, organic grass-fed ground beef cooked with the taco seasoning, Trader Joe's organic refried beans, and organic Jack cheese. I broiled it on low until the cheese melted. After taking it out of the broiler, I added some pico de gallo and sliced black olives. Sliced jalapenos were served on the side because I don't think the kids would have appreciated a spicy surprise.