Very few things in life give me the same satisfaction as the perfect nacho bite. It’s a feeling we’ve all chased before, and when it hits, it’s a bliss like no other. This specific nacho method came to me one stoney afternoon in my Beachwood Canyon apartment. To be honest, it was birthed out of my total lack of patience for preheating the oven, but the results on the stovetop far surpassed any oven nacho I’ve ever made. It’s melty, crunchy, spicy and bright. The best part? You don’t have to wrestle with the foil for those crunchy cheesy bits.
SKILLET NACHOS (SERVES 2)
8 oz refried pinto beans
1/4 cup chicken, beef or vegetable stock
7 oz tortilla chips1
1/4 TSP garlic powder
6-7 dashes of Tapatío (or your favorite hot sauce)
4 oz pepper jack cheese, coarsely grated2
1/4 cup green onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup full fat greek yogurt (or sour cream of you’re a baddie)
1/2 lime
In a small sauce pan, add the refried pinto beans with the chicken, beef or vegetable stock on low heat. Warm this up slightly until the stock is evenly incorporated and the mixture is spreadable, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.3
Heat a 12” skillet on medium heat.4
Assemble the chips evenly to cover the bottom of the skillet.
Dollop the bean mixture evenly on top of the chips and use the back of a large spoon to spread it out across the chips.
Sprinkle the garlic powder and add 4 dashes of Tapatío.
Lastly, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the beans. You’ll want a little cheese falling off the sides onto the pan to create some crunchy bits— it’s the best part!
Cover tightly with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes or so (still covered). Everything should look really melty/gooey towards the end.
Uncover and transfer the nachos to a large plate. It should congeal together and slide out as one, glorious piece.
Top with green onions, cilantro and avocado.
Finish with 2-3 dashes of Tapatío and lime juice.
Serve the greek yogurt on the side or right on top.
My favorite is Casa Sanchez, Thin & Light available at Whole Foods
Jack cheese is also great if spice isn’t your thing
You could also zap this mixture in the microwave for 45 seconds, covered.