In our house, we really enjoy Mexican flavors and so we tend to make pork carnitas or al pastor, grilled marinated chicken or seasoned ground beef to enjoy throughout the week. I like to incorporate leftovers into breakfast dishes (recipe coming soon!) or even just a pile of nachos for grazing on the sofa while we binge on our favorite Netflix shows. Nachos are such an easy, freestyle dish to prepare but I thought I’d share how we enjoy ours.

Ingredients

Taco Meat
1 lb ground beef (chuck or sirloin)
1 red onion, diced
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cheese sauce
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups of milk
3 cups shredded cheese ( I used a triple cheddar blend)

Nachos
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large bag of tortilla chips
1 14oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeños (use pickled red onion recipe link substitute onions for jalapeños)
1/2 cup pickled red onions (click for recipe)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 whole ripe avocado, sliced
1 lime juiced and drizzled onto of avocado

Preparation

Taco meat mixture
Place the butter in a medium skillet and add the diced red onions. Cook until translucent. Remove onions from the pan and add the ground beef, cook for 20 minutes until browned. Drain excess oil. Add the red onions to the ground beef and all seasonings, and combine. Place lid on the pan and set aside.

Cheese sauce
Add two tablespoons of butter to a saucepan over medium heat and continue heating until it becomes frothy, add two tablespoons of flour, and whisk over heat until the mixture starts to turn golden 2-3 minutes. Add the milk gradually by continuing to whisk and continue cooking until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in shredded cheese little by little and continue to stir until sauce has a smooth consistency.

Loaded nacho preparation
Add a layer of tortilla chips to a large platter or deep pan. Drizzle the cheese sauce over the chips, add the hot taco meat on top, then the heated pinto beans. Add tomato/onion mixture, pickled red onions, and jalapeños. Garnish with sliced ripe avocado and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately!

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