I know, nachos are not very elegant. Still, they are fancier than eating Doritos out of the bag, and warm, dripping cheese is a major comfort food. And, I enjoy tweaking this recipe every time. There is always room for improvement and improvisation.
Those folks at Bon Appétit know a thing or two. I did the art major math at the grocery store a while ago, and discovered that the store brand grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese was the same price, ounce-for-ounce, as the store brand block of extra sharp Cheddar cheese. I thought my time was so valuable, that I would give in to this seeming economy of motion. But Bon Appétit dispelled that petty economy. They advised grating cheese just before serving, so the cheese was not dried out, and thus it would melt uniformly and lusciously. They were RIGHT! I will not be lulled by the siren song of prepared foods again.
But I have to add that Bon Appétit puts crazy toppings on their nachos. I do not think that thinly sliced radishes are going to fly as game food here. As it is I think I may be stepping a little far out on the paper-thin pond ice with the addition of crab – this is a beef taco meat crowd (except the pescatarian, and she thinks crab is a lovely concept). I think we should show all the Maryland loyalty that we can. Maryland crabmeat, Natty Boh beer and all the purple we can muster.
Many thanks to our Facebook contributor, Karen Sinar Dever, who suggested the blue (purple when you squint) corn chips (Garden of Eatin’ Red Hot Blues! ). What a brilliant idea, Karen. Purple chips, gold melty cheese, lots of peppers, onions and heaps of crab. Go Ravens!
We preheat the oven to 350° F, line a big, rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper, and arrange a single layer of chips. We plan on making repeat batches – nachos aren’t any good cold, and we hate soggy chips. (Sometimes we slice corn taco shells into triangles and fry them up crisp in a pan of oil, but today we are feeding the masses. There is not enough room in the kitchen for the galvanized bucket of beers, our hungry fans and that time-consuming artisanal version of corn chips. Store bought is fine. Blue is better.)
Assign a young’un to grate the cheese. The dog will be happy to supervise. We use an 8-ounce block of extra sharp Cheddar cheese for 2 batches of nachos – but quantity depends entirely on your personal preferences and how much you plan to clog your arteries on game day.
I like chopped Vidalia onion, slices of jalapeno, a smattering of decorative red pepper and a skootch of razor-thin circlets of green onion on top of the cheese. I prefer the cheese to cover the meat (or crab) already scattered artfully over the nacho chips. We put rounded spoonfuls of refried beans (lard-free!) in the corners of the cookie sheets, too, covered with a sprinkling of cheese. I have bowls of sour cream and homemade pico de gallo on the counter, nicely warmed up to room temp. Miss Pescatarian does not like cold sour cream with her warm nachos. She would also advocate a judicious variety of hot sauces, which can be shaken over individual plates of nachos. She likes fiery, flaming nachos.
Pop the cookie sheet into the oven for about 10 minutes – check your cheese – you do not want to overcook it now that you have a custom cheese grater at your beck.
Dole out individual plates of nachos and prepare to spend a good amount of time in the kitchen. Someone needs to oversee the beer distribution and preside over the dog supervising the cheese grating.
Other ideas for toppings to add once the nachos have emerged from the oven:
guacamole, shredded lettuce, bacon, artichoke hearts, shredded cilantro and chopped tomatoes.
Pico de Gallo:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/pico-de-gallo_n_1062155.html
“Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore…”
-Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven
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