Nachos are the ultimate party food – easy to load and pimp up however you like, perfect if you’ve got a group of friends coming round.
To get started, buy some tortilla chips or make your own by slicing corn tortillas into triangles, drizzling them with a little oil and baking in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF until crisp and golden. Whichever method you choose, simply load your nachos into a baking tin, then pick one of these toppings to take them to the next level.
CLASSIC BEEF CHILLI, MELTED CHEESE & JALAPEÑOS
Beef chilli nachos are seriously indulgent and incredibly tasty. Make up a batch of chilli in advance – it’s even better leftover from the day before – then reheat and spoon on top. Grate over some cheese, pop it all under the grill until the cheese has melted, then finish with sliced jalapeños and dollops of super-fresh minty yoghurt dip. Your carnivore companions won’t be able to stop themselves!
VEGGIE CHILLI, CHUNKY GUACAMOLE & SALSA (VG)
Spiced roasted sweet potato, sweet peppers and beans in a rich tomato sauce, all ladled on top of nachos makes this an epic meat-free dish. Finish it with dollops of chunky guacamole, a zingy tomato salsa and lime wedges for a real Mexican vibe – perfect for dunking.
TOMATO, OLIVE & FETA (V)
Go Greek and liven up your nachos with ripe slabs of tomato and cucumber, finely sliced onion, olives and crumblings of salty feta. Finished with oregano, fresh mint and a good drizzle of olive oil, this reconstructed Greek salad is colourful, fun and a real crowd-pleaser.
SMASHED BLACK BEANS, CHUNKY GUACAMOLE & SALSA (V)
Loading your nachos with mix and match dips is a great way to get a little (or a lot) of what you love. Try mashing black beans until smooth, then dolloping them onto one corner of your nachos. Follow with a dollop of guacamole on another corner, some tomato salsa on another and thick crème fraîche over the last corner, then let your friends dunk and load their combos however they want.
For more ideas, watch DJ BBQ knocking up his own chilli nacho feast on Food Tube.