“Do you know how to make nachos Mom?” my younger guy asked. “Because, I think we would like them. They have cheese!” Someone has seen a Super Bowl commercial or two. Nachos it is.
The guys are good about embracing the dinner menu. The younger one though, does not like “mixed-up food.”
This means that a hearty winter stew, of cubes of meat, thick slices of carrots, simmered in a broth with fresh herbs, is not going to be pooled on a mound of mashed potatoes for him. He wants some stew on one side of the plate and the potatoes on the other side. Fair enough.
This recipe for nachos has beans and ground turkey as the base. The white beans simmer in a pot, and get broken down with a potato masher, to create a puree of the beans.
The bean puree is a great way to stretch the amount of meat being used when it gets cooked with the turkey.
Ground turkey needs a real boost of flavor. After sweating a shallot, chopped and cooked in some olive oil, the ground turkey gets added to the pot.
To help caramelize the ground turkey, a generous sprinkling of onion powder and garlic powder, as well as a mild paprika, help brown the meat.
At the end of cooking time, an equal amount of Worcestershire and soy sauce add a deeper flavor to the cooked turkey. The white bean puree is stirred in and the mixture is layered in a dish.
Now for the cheese. We use a blend of shredded Monterey Jack, Colby, and a mix of both a mild, and sharp, Cheddar.
The cheese is spread in an even layer, along with a handful of chopped scallions. The dish goes into the oven for 20-25 minutes at 375F to melt the cheese to a bubbling state of readiness.
We discovered these chips at our local market which are made of stone ground white corn, a non-hydrogenated oil, lime, and sea salt. They’re thin, and crispy, and make the perfect chip for the nachos.
We serve some of the turkey, beans, and cheese, on a plate and scoop up the “toppings” with the corn chips.
People have been talking all week about their Super Bowl menus.. It’s become a big food day. If you’re making chili, as many are, try making your own hot sauce. Read about it in my post over at the Food section of Parade.
Enjoy the commercials for game day!
herbinkitchen 