One of the benefits of having daughters who cook is that you pick up ideas from them for a quick and tasty meal. Like nachos..
So here’s what I came up with for dinner one night this week…
Spice mix: combine to suit your taste: 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp dried cumin, 1 tsp dried cilantro
1. Thoroughly mix the spice mix ingredients together. Set aside.
2. In a small amount of olive oil, sauté the meat with the onions, bell pepper, cloves and jalapeños. Be sure to break up the meat into small pieces.
3. Drain off any fat and stir in some of the spice mix. (Start without 1 Tbsp total, increase according to taste.)
4. Spread tortilla chips on a large cookie sheet or platter. (Best results with 2-3 layers.)
5. Add meat mixture on top of tortilla chips
6. Add spoonfuls of salsa and sprinkle cheese on top.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for around 5-10 minutes. Baking time will depend on how thick your layers are.
8. When Nachos come out of the oven, add your choice of toppings, such as: guacamole, fresh tomatoes, sour cream.
9. Stand back.
NOTES: I make this without the jalapeños as most salsa have plenty of kick. For a party or large gathering, you can use a large pizza stone or oven-proof platter.
MAKE AHEAD: The meat mixture can be doubled, tripled, depending on the amount of meat you have. Drain, cool and freeze in freezer bags. Reheat and add to tortillas as above.