Queso Drenched Vegetarian Nachos

Nachos need no introduction.  EVERYONE loves nachos…I literally don’t know anyone that doesn’t perk up when a platter of loaded nachos with creamy, warm queso is plopped in front of them. When we shot this recipe, our photog Robert and I could not stop eating them (which if you know what an insane, in the best way possible, health nut he is, then you would understand the gravity of that statement)!  But of course, like everything drool-worthy, there’s an art to making perfectly loaded nachos (which I promise I’ve been practicing for quite some time)…and it’s all in the layering, my friends. 

There’s nothing worse than reaching for a nacho that has nothing on it, and in the dream world, every chip would have the perfect proportion of toppings and melty, ooey-gooey cheese.  But there’s ALSO nothing worse than soggy nachos, and you run that risk when drenching your nachos with queso.  So, I’ve made it my mission to whip up the ultimate loaded nachos that avoid both of those travesties; just follow my lead friends and I promise everyone will have a perfect pile on their plate. 

First, layer the pan with unbleached parchment paper (or tin foil) for easy cleanup…because scrubbing the baked cheese residue off the nacho pan later is not worth anyone’s time, let’s be honest.  Use a mixture of yellow and white chips (or homemade tortilla chips if you’re feeling ambitious; they’re so worth it) and make sure to spread them out in two layers, moving them around to make them as even as possible.  It’s okay to spend a little bit of time doing this, and throw out those broken chips.  Next, in order to avoid a soggy-nacho situation, you’ll want to cook only some of the ingredients: starting with the beans first, which serve as a layer to shield the queso from the nacho making the chip soggy.  Next up: queso, red peppers, fresh jalapenos, and the shredded cheese.  And please take the extra time and buy the high quality block cheese and shred it yourself which I’m sure your mother did.  It is SO, SO, SO much better than pre-shredded, and worth the extra effort. 

Cook the nachos until the cheese melts, then pull them out and layer on the toppings as high as they will go.  These will all serve as the cold, crunchy topping to the loaded nachos.  This way, you’ll get a warm, melty, cruncy, spicy, and creamy cold bite all in one (which is absolutely incredible I might add). So go ahead and pour on the green and red peppers, green onions, homemade pico de gallo (which is just red onions, tomato, jalapenos, cilantro, plenty of lime juice and GARLIC salt), cilantro and fresh, creamy avocado slices (not guacamole).  I’ve found that the fresh avocado is actually much, much tastier in each bite than a hunk of guac, and really adds that creamy texture.  Happy layering friends…now go pour yourself a margarita and nosh on some nachos!  Truly, MKR