I'm a big fan of leftovers. Anything that you can make ahead of time and toss together in a couple of minutes later on when I don't have the energy to actually cook? I love having things on hand that just work. Vermicelli goes great with nachos, but I also tend to do a similar thing with tossing leftovers into pastas and burritos. There are so many great ways to prepare yourself ahead of time and make this particular thing easier on yourself down the line. It's what restaurants do.
Restaurants are so efficient at making hundreds of people meals all at once because they prepare ingredients and have certain dishes entirely made ahead of time and ready to go. No one in the restaurant business is chopping vegetables for every single dish to order. So, it is odd that we try to hold ourselves to that standard when cooking at home. Make a salad on the weekend. Turn it into nachos after work when all that you want is everything in your life doused in cheese. I don't presume to know if that works for anyone else. Although, just in case it does? Even professional cooks don't have it that tough on themselves. And it's always a good idea to plan for lazy days.
Gallery
Variations of Vermicelli Nachos
I'm incredibly fond of tossing perhaps unusual ingredients into nachos. Really, there aren't too many things that do go deliciously on top of chips with a little bit of cheese. I sometimes make them vegan with a little bit of cashew cheese or the like. Nachos are a great way to mix and match your own favorite ingredients, though, and make it your own. I'm constantly tossing in vermicelli salads or things like curry that are great to make ahead of time and turn into fun and interesting new dishes later on down the week!
These Vermicelli Nachos consists of yellow summer squash, orange bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeños, tamari, rice vinegar, peanut butter, avocado, and sprouts with a dollop of Greek yogurt and and hot sauce.
I also topped this with Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Thai Dragon Peppers. This is entirely optional. You can easily substitute sour cream or omit it entirely for a more vegan recipe. Although this avocado dip is my new favorite thing and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's kind of a mix between hummus and guacamole. And is absolutely delicious!
Nachos
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, lay out tortilla chips across a baking sheet.Cover until you can't see the baking sheet any longer. They should be touching, but not overlapping too much. You really just want to be able to add toppings to every chip without it getting too much on the baking sheet!Exactly how much chips you use is largely a matter of personal preference as well. I've never sat there carefully measuring chips! Roughly two handfuls usually equates to about a serving. I tend to cook far more than I actually need, though. So, as always, adjust to personal preference!
Spread toppings evenly across the tortilla chips.
Spread toppings evenly across the tortilla chips.This acts largely like refried beans would in a typical nacho recipe. You can either spread across each of the chips or just drop little dollops across the chips.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the chips begin to toast.
Serve
Once the nachos are done cooking, remove from the oven and top with avocado dip, hot sauce, sprouts, and a dash of salt and pepper.
Serve immediately. Once the nachos begin to cool down, the tortilla chips will absorb too much moisture and soften. Once this happens, there isn't a lot that you can do to crisp them up again!
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For a more in-depth article on nachos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Nachos. I make suggestions on settling the microwave vs. oven debate and give suggestions on serving size, topping order, and potential reheating tips and tricks.
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