Request a recipe for nachos and you might get an eye roll.
After all, there is nothing to it. Piling things on chips and warming them in a microwave or oven is as complicated as boiling water.
But it requires a little more effort as the ingredient list becomes longer or when each step involves a different technique. Then there’s the question of which toppings can handle a high temperature and which can’t.
Sometimes, all you want are bar-style nachos that are crispy yet gooey and creamy yet spicy. And who doesn’t love nachos loaded with enough meats, beans, vegetables and guacamole to make a meal in itself?
They all start off with tortilla chips sturdy enough to hold up toppings effortlessly. The chips then are covered with a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese or doused with a velvety cheese sauce and heated. Finally, top those chips with whatever your heart desires and diet dictates.
One of the appetizer’s unsung heroes is cilantro, which adds a flavor and aroma like no other herb. There is no such thing as too much cilantro; it can be added to the pico and guac and sprinkled on top.
Nachos can be multilayered with smashed black beans scented with cumin, luxe queso with bits of pickled jalapenos, shredded or pulled pork or chicken, crumbled tofu, fresh and bright pico de gallo and finished with a squiggle of sour cream.
Or keep them simple, just to one layer. That’s how nachos were first made in the Mexican town of Piedras Negras in the early 1940s. The story goes that four American tourists stopped by Moderno Restaurant and wanted fried tortillas. But there was nobody in the kitchen.
So a waiter named Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya “sliced a tortilla in four pieces, put some cheese and slices of jalapeno on top and stuck it in the oven for a few minutes,” according to the San Antonio Express-News. When the diners wanted to know what they were called, he responded, “Nacho’s Especial.” The name was eventually shortened to nachos and it became the most popular appetizer at the restaurant.
The waiter’s nickname, by the way, had nothing to do with his creation. It was a common nickname for anyone named Ignacio in Mexico, writes Robb Walsh in “The Tex-Med Cookbook.” Nor did the nickname win him any fortune when he opened Nacho’s Restaurant across the border in Texas.
When the word spread about the cheesy and spicy appetizer, variations started popping up. While tortilla chips and gooey melting cheese are a mainstay, recipes for vegan versions call for pulled jackfruit smothered in barbecue sauce and there are keto ones built on pork rinds or cheese crisps.
Nachos loaded with Meatballs
Serves 6 to 8.
For the salsa
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
2½ cups crushed tomato sauce
Salt to taste
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
For the meatballs
4 cloves garlic finely minced
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
2 pounds ground pork
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
For the nachos
1 (13-ounce) bag white rounds tortilla chips, divided
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
¼ cup pickled jalapenos, minced, divided
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
½ cup cotija or Parmesan cheese, shredded
Make the salsa: In a bowl, stir together onion, bell pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper and crushed tomato sauce. Season with salt. Add cilantro and tomatoes and combine well. Cover and set aside.
Make the meatballs: In a bowl, combine garlic, egg, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and salt. Add pork, breadcrumbs and cilantro. Mix gently. Form 32 balls.
In a heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add meatballs in batches and cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.
Assemble the nachos: Place half the tortilla chips on a baking tray and sprinkle with 1½ cups of cheddar and 2 tablespoons of pickled jalapenos. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Transfer chips to a wide serving bowl or platter. Repeat the process with the remaining chips, cheese and jalapenos.
Pour salsa over meatballs and gently stir. Spoon the meatballs and sauce over the cheesy chips. Top with a sprinkle of cilantro and cotija or Parmesan cheese.
Loaded Vegetarian Nachos
Adapted from “Munchies Guide to Dinner” by Editors of Munchies; serves 6 to 8.
For the pico de gallo
2 small tomatoes, cored and diced
½ jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
½ small white onion, diced
⅓ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the guacamole
1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 small tomato, diced
½ red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
3 avocados, peeled, pitted and cubed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the queso
1½ cups Oaxaca cheese, shredded
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1¼ cups half-and-half
2 pickled jalapenos, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the black beans
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 pickled jalapeno slices, minced
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the nachos
1 (13-ounce) bag corn tortilla chips, divided
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 radishes, thinly sliced
Pickled jalapeno slices, for garnish
½ cup sour cream, optional
Make the pico: In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. It makes about 2 cups. Bring to room temperature when it’s time to make the nachos.
Make the guacamole: In a medium bowl, lightly smash the jalapeno, tomato and red onion. Add lime juice, cilantro and avocados, and combine. Season with salt and pepper, and mix again. Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to use. It makes about 2½ cups. Bring to room temperature before using.
Make the queso: In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, add Oaxaca and cheddar cheeses and half-and-half. Allow the cheeses to melt, stirring frequently. If the mixture seems too thick, add a bit more half-and-half. After the cheeses melt, add the jalapeno and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Make the black beans: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the rinsed black beans. Add cumin, jalapeno slices and lime juice. Lightly mash them with a potato masher. Stir occasionally until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble the nachos: On a platter, layer half of the tortilla chips. Top with half of the beans and half of the queso. Top with the remaining chips, beans and queso. Finally, top with guacamole, pico, cilantro, radishes, pickled jalapeno slices and sour cream, if using.