Frugal Monday Meals – Nachos

Unlike a lot of households out there I do a lot of the cooking in my family. It isn’t that my wife won’t, or can’t, it is just that I truly enjoy cooking. I have even, briefly, considered culinary school and a change of careers. It is just something I enjoy doing, chopping is somehow relaxing to me. I am a very simple cook, nothing complicated and most of the time nothing overly expensive.

Since this blog is supposed to be as much about suburban life as it is money I am going to periodically recipes we use quasi regularly that are cheap, easy, and fun.

Nachos

People don’t usually think about DIY nachos at home but it is crazy easy to make them yourself at home, and fun for you and the kiddos to eat too. After a long day no one wants to slave over the stove for hours, or hell even minutes. This recipe is done as fast as you can brown meat and melt cheese.

Ingredients

  • Tortilla Chips
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • Taco Seasoning
  • 1 can black beans (drained)
  • Shredded cheese
  • 2-3 Roma Tomatoes (chopped)
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Sour Cream *optional
  • Green Onions (chopped ) *optional

Directions

Brown your turkey in a skillet then season according the directions on your seasoning packet. While the turkey is browning line a cookie sheet with your tortilla chips in a single layer. Chop your tomatoes and set them aside.  Just as the meat is approaching the end of the seasoning simmer time add your can of black beans to the skillet and continue to reduce until most of the liquid is gone. Set you broiler on to LOW.

Sprinkle the meat/bean mixture over your laid out nachos making sure you evenly distribute the yumminess across all of the chips (no one wants to eat a plain chip). Take your cheese and generously sprinkle it across the meat, beans, and chips.  Take the tray and put it in the oven relatively close, but not too close, to the broiler. Keep an eye on it and make sure your cheese is melting and the chips are starting to darken but not burn.

Remove the sheet from the oven, let it stand for a minute and then distribute your lettuce and tomatoes across the chips. If you want to you can also add sour cream and some chopped green onions at this point. Take the whole tray to the table and let everyone dig in.

Readers: Would you be interested in seeing more posts like this, probably not weekly but once or twice a month? There is a lot of tasty stuff stuck in my head.

{ 6 comments }

1 Matt SF February 15, 2010 at 10:25 am

Mmm… Nachos! Nom nom

I do most of the cooking in the household as well. Not that the gf can’t do it, it’s just part of my stress relief and a bit of my micromanaging personality showing itself.

2 Bucksome February 15, 2010 at 7:56 pm

Kyle, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. We love nachos but usually buy them from the local taco shop; never thought about attempting them myself.

I would vote that you add this as a occasional feature.

3 Forest February 16, 2010 at 12:35 am

I started making nachos at home after the first time I ever had them (which was as an adult). I remember eating them and thinking “why did I just pay 5pounds (UK) for this pile of chips and cheese?”… Never occurred to me that people didn’t make them at home and I assumed it was a common thing :)!!

Great recipe. I am vegetarian so just make mine quickly with Nachos, Onions, Peppers and sometimes olives….. and of course cheese. Not the healthiest meal but a nice one :).

Thanks,
Forest.

4 Samurai February 16, 2010 at 11:04 am

Yum, and hunger sweeps over me as I head to the aeroporto.

Feed me Seymour!

5 Monevator February 18, 2010 at 8:03 pm

Yep, let’s face it Kyle you’ve made us all hungry.

Personally I’d suggest home making your own guacamole as well, to up the healthiness factor of the Nacho meal.

6 Jan in chesterfield February 24, 2010 at 6:42 am

This sounds so good and easy to make. I definitely will try this one!

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