I’d be the first to admit that I love to celebrate all milestones but birthdays are my favorite celebration. One of our students recently had her birthday so we invited her to dinner to celebrate. Kelsey is one of our students that has become like family. In addition to being one of Blythe’s favorite babysitters, she’s a frequent dinner guest at our house. Kelsey has been one of my most loyal taste tasters and has even endured a few recipes that were less than perfect. To celebrate her birthday I made big plates of nachos. Ever since The Pioneer Woman posted her loaded nachos I’ve been making my own version like crazy.
I know that everyone has their favorite recipes for loaded nachos but of course I think my version is the most delicious. I start by adding taco seasoning and black beans to ground beef. I love cheesy topping filled nachos so instead of creating a giant pile of chips on a cookie sheet, I put the chips in a single layer. This gives you chips covered in toppings instead of all the toppings being on the top few chips. I generously put the meat and bean mixture on the chips then top with my favorite salsa. I then cover them in cheese and broil for a couple of minutes. Once out of the oven stack those chips then add black olives, sour cream and guacamole. I can also convince myself that they are “healthy” if I add shredded lettuce. You could also add jalapeños, diced onions or tomatoes as well. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to customize. These are perfect for feeding a crowd and would be great addition to any football party you might be attending this season.
ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 bag corn chips
1/4 cup salsa
2 cups grated cheese (I like mexican cheese blend)
guacamole, sour cream, black olives, chopped onion, sliced jalapenos, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato or cilantro for garnish
instructions
- Turn the broiler on for the oven.
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain the fat then return to the skillet and follow directions on taco seasoning on how to incorporate into the meat.
- Rinse the black beans then add to the meat.
- While the meat is cooking, line 2 baking sheets with foil then spread a thin layer of corn chips on each sheet.
- When the meat and bean mixture is ready, spoon evenly over the chips. Drizzle the chips with salsa. Top with shredded cheese.
- Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Carefully watch so that your chips don't burn.
- Once the cheese is melted remove from the oven. Stack nachos on individual plates and allow guests to tops with their favorite garnishes.