Thursday's Side Dish: Nachos

Did you know that someone is actually credited with inventing nachos? Ignacio Anaya called it Nachos Espaciales when he served it at a Mexican restaurant in 1943. It was made with tortilla chips covered in melted cheese and jalapeno peppers. Nachos have gone on to become an American favorite as an appetizer, party dish, whole meal, and snack. Our Mixed Stew recipe doesn?t cut any corners. It has the works and a healthy portion of refried beans. So eat up!

1 rectangle baking pan
1 bag restaurant-style tortilla chips
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup Jalapeno peppers, sliced
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
½ cup green onions, sliced (or 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine)
1 cup cooked taco meat or chili

Optional Toppings:
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 large tomato, diced
Salsa, on the side

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line bottom of baking pan with tortilla chips. Next, layer beans, meat, onions, and jalapeno peppers on top of chips. Finally, sprinkle shredded cheddar to cover everything. Place baking pan in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or wait for the cheese to melt to your desired taste. Remove from oven and serve with optional toppings and additional chips.