Everyone loves nachos, right? Everyone has specific toppings that they love too. Me, I like cheese – but certainly not a sloppy cheese sauce. I like guacamole. I like a huge pile of jalepenos, though my husband isn’t a fan.
Mostly, I love the fact that nachos are for sharing. We can all dig in and enjoy the bits that we enjoy the most. That’s why I make these nachos in such a way that everyone can choose the bits they like the most.
I don’t like soggy nachos, so I always feel a bit of dread when I see a recipe for ‘loaded nachos’. I can’t think of anything worse than a stodge of mushy tortilla chips under a gloopy mess of chilli and soured cream.
So, this might not seem much like the Tex Mex nacho dishes you’re used to, but I think it’s probably more traditional. Here, I just cook the nachos with cheese, and have the other delicious bits and pieces as separate dips. It means you can dive in to the bits you like the most and – even better – the whole dish lasts longer. There’s no rushing to finish them (unless you want to, of course!); instead, you can enjoy them over the course of a film or a football game without the texture going wrong.
You could also make these alongside my 4 hour slow cooked chilli to create an amazing dinner party spread.
I made a few elements here, you can choose the bits you like the most:
The Cheesy Nachos
Goes without saying that these are the most important bit. You can make your own tortilla chips if you like, but shop bought ones work just as well here.
Make sure that you don’t buy highly flavoured ones, though (Doritos, I’m looking at you…) – stick with plain. Supermarket own brand ones are usually pretty good.
The cheese mix is important here. It’s not authentic, but mozzarella gives a nice fun stretch and I highly recommend it!
The Black Beans
This is a side you don’t often find with nachos in the U.K., but it’s so, so good. These black beans are simply simmered down with smoked paprika and give a meaty, satisfying hit of flavour in a vegetarian dish.
Scooping up that delicious black bean dip with the nachos is a special kind of delight.
The Guacamole
I made a basic guacamole (more just a mashed avocado) with a hint of spice, along with some sliced avocado too to give a bit of variance in texture.
The Salsa
This is a seriously simple mild salsa. You can add spice if you like too – simply add as much chopped fresh chilli as you want to. The key to making this is using the best tinned chopped tomatoes you can afford. Try to avoid using the cheapest ones if you can – they’re full of added water and will make a disappointing salsa.
This recipe will take 30 minutes and serves 4.
The Best Nachos and Dips
Ingredients
For the nachos:
- 400 grams tortilla chips
- 250 grams grated cheddar and mozzarella mix
For the salsa:
- 400 grams tin chopped tomatoes
- Large handful coriander chopped
- 2 spring onions
- ½ teaspoon sugar
For the guacamole:
- 2 avocados
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli flakes
For the beans:
- 400 grams tin black beans
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Additions:
- soured cream
- jalapeños
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200?.
- For the beans, pour the beans (and the liquid from the tin) into a small saucepan with the smoked paprika. Simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. Stir often – if they start to dry out, add a splash of water.
- For the salsa, tip the chopped tomatoes into a bowl. Stir through the coriander, sugar and some salt and pepper. Top with the sliced spring onions.
- For the guacamole, scoop the flesh out of one of the avocados. Mash with the chilli flakes and some salt until smooth. Slice the flesh of the other avocado and place on the side of the guacamole.
- For the nachos, tip half of the tortilla chips into a large ovenproof dish and top with half of the cheese. Repeat. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until golden.
- To serve, put all of your sides (including the soured cream and jalapeños, if using) into bowls and serve alongside the cheesy nachos. Share and dip, and enjoy!
More Mexican style recipes for you to enjoy:
- Chilli Pie
- Chickpea and Courgette Vegetarian Chilli
- 4 Hour Slow Cooked Beef Chilli
- Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas
- Tasty Black Bean Quesadillas
- 15 Minute Pork and Pineapple Tacos
- Smoky Pork and Black Bean Tacos
- Tomato, Red Pepper and Coriander Soup with Nachos
- Smoky Halloumi Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Burritos
