Sunday, March 16, 2008

Nachooooooo!


What is it about tortilla chips and cheese that make nachos the perfect food? It's something beyond the crunch and the grease and the salt... although those are all really good reasons. Nachos are definitely a case of "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts".

Chicken and Tomatilla Nachos

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ancho chili pepper
  • pinch of salt
  • tortilla chips
  • Trader Joe's tomatilla salsa
  • shredded cheese (I used a combo of cheddar, mozzarella, and Jack... make sure there's some Jack in there)
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced

In a small pot, boil chicken for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to cool on a cutting board, then shred with two forks. Heat oil in a pan and add chicken and cayenne, ancho, and salt. Stir to make sure the spices are covering the chicken.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a glass or ceramic baking dish, put down a layer of tortilla chips. Sprinkle lightly with salsa, then chicken, then cheese. Repeat until the dish is filled (my dish took 3 layers). Bake about 10 minutes, until top begins to brown. Scatter sliced scallion on top before devouring...I mean, serving.

Speaking of culinary battle cries... Nachooooo!