There are some foods that lend themselves especially well to snacking on while watching football. You want foods that are shareable, easy to serve and eat, and indulgently worthy of a cheat day, but not overly filling — after all, you want to be able to graze over the course of a few hours rather than fill yourself up too quickly. Worthy entries in this category include wings, sliders, pigs in a blanket, any number of dips, and, of course, nachos.
Nachos are great, but that tried and true combo of chips and cheese (and maybe some ground meat) can get a little stale — literally and figuratively. In the name of science, I recently tested out a few different flavor combos and preparation methods that take the standard nacho up a notch or two. Below are my three favorite recipes.
This year, elevate your Super Bowl nachos by trying out something new and memorable that will impress your own taste buds and those of the folks you’re sharing with.
Taco Frito Pie
Half casserole, half nachos, this walking taco-inspired dish is guaranteed to get rave reviews. Theoretically, you could try any kind of chip you want, but Fritos work especially well because they are thick enough to remain sturdy during the cooking and eating process. While traditional nachos are a finger food, you’ll want to eat these with a fork.
If you don’t get through it all on game day, the leftovers reheat quite well in an air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (you could go leaner with turkey or chicken)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 19-oz can red enchilada sauce
- 2 9-oz packages Fritos (use the regular variety; the jumbo scoops are too big)
- 8 oz shredded cheese (colby jack or Mexican blend works well)
Directions
- Heat oven 400° F. Coat a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat some oil over medium-high heat, then add the beef and diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent — 8-10 minutes. Drain grease, if needed.
- Once cooked, reduce heat to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup water and the taco seasoning, stirring until it’s completely mixed in. (The taco packet likely says to add 3/4 cup water; I’ve found that to be too much.)
- Add the beans and enchilada sauce, stirring until combined, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Time to assemble the “pie.” Pour your first package of Fritos into the baking dish and sprinkle half the cheese atop the chips. Next, evenly spread the entirety of the meat and bean mixture across the chips and cheese. Add the second package of Fritos and the remaining cheese.
- Bake until the chips are browned and the cheese is melted and bubbly, 8-10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, or any other preferred taco toppings.
Stupidly Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Every time I make this I’m surprised again at just how easy and foolproof it is. It’s technically a dip, but rather easy to turn into a nacho dish. You can get a mild buffalo sauce to appease milder palates; and if bleu cheese isn’t your thing, it works just as well without it. One final tip: this recipe is just the right size for a rice cooker, an appliance which many folks don’t realize doubles as a small slow cooker. Whether you use that or a traditional crockpot, this is an especially good dish for the big game due to its portability.
Ingredients
- 1 12.5-oz can chunk chicken, drained
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2.5 oz bleu cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 4 oz shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack work well)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a small slow cooker; heat on low for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve as a dip with chips, celery/carrots, or crackers. For nachos, serve the warmed dip over a plated layer of tortilla chips.
BBQ Nachos
For how few ingredients are in these nachos, you’ll be surprised at how much flavor they have. You can, of course, smoke a brisket at home, or you can take the easy route by buying something like Famous Dave’s burnt ends at the store — that’s what I did, and it was surprisingly tasty. Turns out that the somewhat simple combination of meat, sauce, and a good shredded cheese layered over some chips works incredibly well.
Ingredients
- 1 lb prepared BBQ meat of choice (brisket, shredded pork/chicken, burnt ends — truly anything works!)
- 6 oz shredded cheese (cheddar works especially well for BBQ)
- 1 13-oz bag bag tortilla chips
- BBQ sauce of choice
Directions
- Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place a single layer of tortilla chips on the sheet.
- Add half the cheese and half the meat evenly across the chips. Drizzle BBQ sauce over the whole thing.
- Add another layer of tortilla chips, as well as the rest of the meat and cheese spread evenly across it. Drizzle more BBQ sauce over the whole thing.
- Set oven to broil and cook it on a low setting for ~10 minutes. (If your broil mode only has one setting, put the baking sheet on a lower rack.) Keep a close eye on it; the chips can quickly turn from perfectly done to totally charred.
