There is a cheese shortage. I hate to break it to you if you're a cheese aficionado. If I could, I would live on nothing but cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, production and supply lines have been disrupted and, while that may be incredibly inconvenient when it happens with toilet paper and the skyrocketing price of meat? Cheese has finally become the latest casualty in the pandemic. Because of this, I'm having a little bit of trouble getting my usual cheeses. In response, I've simply been buying anything and everything that is on sale or remotely affordable! So, by freak accident, I've just ended up with a discounted brick of smoked muenster. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with it! But I want nachos and it's either this or Swiss cheese. Hence, the absolutely delectable Smoked Muenster Nachos today.
I wouldn't necessarily always go to smoked muenster for nachos. I'd dare say that I've never actually used muenster for nachos at all! But I'm thrilled that I did. I made Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes, Turmeric, & Serranos with the intent of it being a nice, warm comfort food.
Most people tend to think of quinoa as being a slightly bitter superfood that goes into hipster bowls and tastes like a health food. However, it's one of my favorite dishes. Especially when paired with sweet potatoes, turmeric, carrots, serranos, and a dash of tamari and rice vinegar. This gives the quinoa a slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and slightly salty profile with a warm orange hue and a little bit of fried tofu. This might be a hodge podge, but it's almost reminiscent of barbecue sauce and goes incredibly well with the smokiness of the muenster cheese.
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Variations of Smoked Muenster Nachos
I don't always use smoked muenster cheese for nachos. Although I'm not one to shy away from fun and interesting ingredients in nachos. Nachos tend to have a reputation for being party food. But put down the canned beans and shelf-stable cheese! There are quick and easy ways to elevate nachos and I'm incredibly fond of tossing all sorts of higher end foods into them that are absolutely delicious.
Cook Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes, Turmeric, & Serranos. This takes about 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 rice or quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
I also topped this burrito with Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Spinach, Serrano & Peanuts.This is entirely optional. You can easily substitute sour cream or omit it entirely. 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!
Cook 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.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.
Bake for 10 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, 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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