I'm never entirely sure if I'm going to post nachos. Nachos are my cheat meal. They're what I make tired at the end of the day after work. Probably in the dark in the middle of the night! They're not necessarily something that I'm proud of. "Healthy" isn't an adjective that I would ordinarily use to describe them. And they're probably not something that I'm going to go back to later and try to recreate. Nachos are really just an amalgam of everything that I have in the refrigerator dumped on chips and thrown into the oven! This should be pretty obvious given the Ethiopian nachos concoction that I've come up with today... But this is what I do with a lot of burritos, anyway. And there is something to be said about having splurge foods!
I don't eat fast food. You'll never see me at a drive through. I don't drink coffee or soda. Even if all you have to drink is a rum and coke, I'll skip the coke. I don't have a big sweet tooth. Chocolate and candy aren't things that I ordinarily crave (although all bets are off the day after Halloween!).
Generally speaking, I eat pretty healthy. I make all of my own food and try to only eat out if it's something to splurge on. Preferably that I can't make at home! One of my favorite things to do is to cook and there's nothing that I enjoy more at the end of the day than putting on some fuzzy socks, finding a fun show, cracking open a beer or bottle of wine, and starting a cooking project.
My cheat food is cheese, though. "Cheese" is kind of a dirty word in my household. I consider it a junk food. Absolutely anything with cheese in it is my candy! Cheese isn't a meal. There's little nutritional value to it. It's high in protein and calcium, but so high in saturated fats and salt I can't say that the benefits outweigh on this one! Cheese is my splurge. It's my comfort food when nothing else will do.
So, I'm almost embarrassed when I make nachos. I've given into temptation and splurged! At least when I make macaroni and cheese or lasagna or pizza it's a production. There are multiple components. They take hours to prepare and cook. Even if they're not good for you, you can still call them a meal! Particularly if it's a special occasion or when the pandemic is behind us and we can have people over again.
But nachos are my guilty little pleasure in the middle of the night by myself!
We all have those, though. And there's something to be said for all of us maintaining our sanity by indulging every once in a while! Especially if it's been a long day and we just need something that hits the spot.
Because cooking isn't always about being perfect. It isn't always about following directions and diets and traditions to a T. Sometimes it's just about living and making something delicious. So, go ahead and make nachos. Or whatever makes you happy! Because this life is fleeting and we could all use a little joy sometimes. And we should stop having to apologize for that!
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Variations of Ethiopian Nachos
I am a nacho enthusiast. It's one of my leftover go-tos. There's sometimes nothing better than coming home from a long day at work to a plate full of everything in the refrigerator piled on top of tortilla chips with melted cheese, hot sauce, and Greek yogurt (or sour cream). In this iteration, I've played up the more Mediterranean flare with tzatziki, instead of sour cream or Greek yogurt, like I ordinarily would have. But I am truly never disappointed when I make nachos! The sky and your pantry are the limit.
These Ethiopian nachos are a combination of black lentils, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and berbere spices ingredients with garlic and ginger sautéed spinach and English cucumber tzatziki. These were all of the leftovers in my refrigerator at the time. But feel free to experiment with what you have on hand! Nachos are for tossing everything that you have into something delicious.
Prepare Lentils w/ Ginger & Turmeric. This takes less than an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
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.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.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Top with a couple dollops of tzatziki or sour cream.
Bake for 10-15 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 hot sauce of choice.
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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