Not just another beef nachos….the 5 minute, all-natural nachos cheese sauce is what makes this a RIPPER nachos! Plus, my “rules” for how to construct the perfect nachos. 🙂
My Rules for How To Make the Perfect Nachos
Rule #1: The Nachos Cheese Sauce ensures even coverage of cheesy goodness on every single chip which you simply can’t achieve just by using grated cheese. Unless you use an inordinate amount of it! Remember: A corn chip without cheese on it is just a chip – not nachos!
Rule #2: Hot and cold must be separated. Never dump cold guacamole and sour cream on top of hot melted cheese. It will set instantly. Nobody wants nachos with cold cheese. So serve cold toppings on the side!
Rule #3: Use a sturdy corn chip. Now is not the time to use no-brand corn chips! Nobody likes soggy chips and nobody likes chips that break when you score one that is gloriously loaded!
(PS Please note, my hands are extra swollen and puffy in this photo because it was a stinking hot, humid day in Sydney and I have no air conditioning!!! 😉 )
(PPS Oh my. I forgot to put the Pico de Gallo on. Shock horror, I skipped the veggies.)
Rule #4: Freshly grated cheese will melt better….just sayin’….
Rule #5: Homemade seasoning for the beef is better than store bought….just sayin’…..
Rule #6: Build the nachos in single layers to ensure that you don’t end up with a pile of corn chips with no toppings. No one’s interested in plain corn chips at a time like this!
Rule #7: Don’t overbake! The trick is to just melt the cheese and warm the nachos all the way through without burning the corn chips (or – gasp, shock horror – the cheese!).
Extra Rules
Rule #8: Nachos must not be made when alone. Too dangerous.
Rule #9: Beer and/or wine (preferably both) must be present.
Rule #10: No cutlery.
Now that we’re all clear on the rules, here’s the recipe! 😉 – Nagi x
What are YOUR Nachos Rules? Tell me below, and I’ll add them to my list!!! 😉
PS For something a little different, try this Nachos Pie! It’s everything you know and love about nachos – in pie form!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
PS Little video I made for the Nachos Cheese Sauce, also including this Nachos!
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Ripper Beef Nachos
Ingredients
Beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped
- 1 lb / 500g ground beef (mince)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp water
Nachos Seasoning
- 1 tsp each onion powder (Note 1), dried oregano, salt
- 2 tsp each dried cumin powder , paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper , or to taste
Nachos
- 14 oz / 400g corn chips , good quality (Note 2)
- 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, tasty, gruyere, Monterey Jack)
- 1 quantity Nachos Cheese Sauce , warm (Note 3)
Sides/Garnish
- Sliced scallions / shallots
- 1 quantity Proper Guacamole , Restaurant Style
- 1 quantity Pico de Gallo (Note 4)
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Beef: Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook until translucent. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go. Once beef is cooked, add Nachos Seasoning, tomato paste and water. Cook for a further 2 minutes, then set aside.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Spread half the corn chips in a single layer on a baking tray. Drizzle over about 1 cup Nachos Cheese Sauce (see KEY TIPS in Note 3), top with 1/2 the Beef and 1/2 the grated cheese ensuring most of the Cheese Sauce is covered.
- Spread over remaining corn chips, drizzle over remaining Nachos Cheese Sauce, Beef and grated cheese, again ensuring all the Cheese Sauce is covered.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately, garnished with sliced scallions/shallots if using and with Guacamole, Pico de Galloand Sour Cream on the side.
Recipe Notes:
Is jarred cheese sauce ok?
Yup, sure is!
mmm i love nachos, this recipe is great. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Thanks Simon! Hope you give it a go!!! 🙂
Omg – these are amazing. Just made them this evening and family devoured them. Nacho cheese sauce definitely made a difference. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much Nic! I’m so glad you loved it!!! I know, isn’t that sauce a killer?? 😉 N x
Nagi, usually I agree with all your recipes and measurements, but you say that this serves 8-12 – well, the six of us wolfed the lot in about 15 minutes, scraped the pan and would have eaten more if we could!! Best nachos ever – I made all the extras and it was just fantastic. Your guacamole was zingy and excellent and that cheese sauce…! We may or may not have licked the pan. So maybe this would serve 8-12 people who are being polite and having dainty servings, but not in my house with friends on a Friday night! YUM! Thank you for yet another wonderful recipe. PS I hope you appreciate that I’m blaming your declared serving sizes rather than our portion sizes…
I’ve wanted to make this since I got the recipe in my email inbox – my son justNACHOS nachos, and the cheese sauce addition will take my usual recipe to the next level. I showed him this page a few days ago and this morning, before he went to school, he said ‘You’re going to have those Nagi nachos ready for me when I come home, right?’ 🙂
Nagi, you are a genius. I typed ‘nachos ‘into the search bar and saw that you’re just the Queen of Nachos Recipes! I want to try them all!
Quick question: are your books available as ebooks and available for Kindle? Because I’d like to order, but postage to South Africa would be prohibitive (although I always to prefer a print book to hold and keep). Second choice would be an electronic version, then.
Keep well and happy cooking!
Awwww, I am so touched that your son calls it Nagi Nachos!!!! 🙂 My books are actually only in electronic form! No print copy 🙂 Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!!
This is the perfect weekend prepare and dig in meal. No fuss with extra deliciousness.
We can just eat air for the rest of the week! 🙂
Yummmm currently printing out the recipe and adding the missing ingredients to my shopping list. Could be Friday or Saturday night dinner 🙂
Can I crash??! 😉
Hi Nagi Made these tonight for the anniversary of our first date 29 years ago – Gary approved and I thought he was going to drink the cheese sauce! Thank you! 🙂
Ohhhhhh…..I am all flushed with happiness that you made THIS for your anniversary!! Happy first-date-anniversary!! You two are just so cute, so SO cute. 🙂 Sending you both a congratulations-virtual-hug all the way from Sydney!! <3 N x
I spotted a nacho without any toppings on! Hahaha … only kidding, my dear Nagi. These look absolutely perfect. I love your fab tips. I’m afraid I don’t have any to add, as I’ve never made proper nachos at home (shock horror), but one thing’s for sure – I’m going to give these a go soon!
One thing left to say today – HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY! Hopefully I’ll be there next year to celebrate with you guys! 🙂
GASP – NO!!! 😉 Oh well, dunk it in guac! HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY to you too!! After all, this is your adopted home!! 🙂 Come HOME HELEN!!
Nachos make the best dinner! I don’t make them at home nearly as much as I should…. These look unbelievable – YUM!
My bottom would kill me if I made nachos as often as I want to!!
Lovely idea. I always thought I was being over the top when i made a parmesan cream for my nachos but I am sooo glad to see that it is acceptable. I must try your cheese sauce . I never thought of evaporated milk!
*Ears perk up* Parmesan cream??? Tell me you have that on your site…..
Nachos should def be in the food pyramid, I could eat it almost every day #greedy. As always, your looks so lush, and I love your rules 🙂
BA HA HA!!! The food pyramid, I remember that from SCHOOL!! And you are so right. The peak or the base? Base = more. 🙂
I learned how to construct nachos in 1974 in Austin, TX, USA. The way Bob, our Channel 36 TV weatherman instructed me to do it was to spread a layer of refried beans on a round corn chip, add grated cheddar, a salsa of your choice and broil until bubbly.
YES to refried beans with nachos!! 🙂
I’m thinking this will be my dinner tonight. Love the idea of an even amount of cheesy goodness through the sauce. And yes, never eat nachos alone!!!
I know, right??? It was so dangerous when I made this for the photos! It took great restraint not to inhale as much as I could!!!
Oh my, my, my… what do we have here? I spy with my little eye, quite possibly my very favorite, can’t resist, near addict proportions – nachos! Forget snacking, I would make a meal out of this! And I agree 1000%, a chip without cheese on it is just a chip, it’s not a nacho. Skimping on the cheese is my biggest pet-peeve when it comes to the perfect nacho dish. Definitely no skimpy topping here! Sharing everywhere!
GASP – who would skimp on cheese with nachos?? I mean, if we’re going to have a calorie blow out, do it properly!!! 🙂
I think we would be firm friends just from reading your rules Nagi!!! hehehe I’ll bring the wine 😉 Jan x
Glad you’re on board!! OK, I’ll do the margaritas!!!
Margaritas. Need margaritas. And my own plate. Oh. That tray will do!
YES!! Margaritas! How did I forget that???!!!
You’re hilarious – I love your rules. I always go for maximum exposed surface area of nachos to ensure maximum cheese coverage but you have that in there. And beer. Beer is a must.
I agree!!! Tray bake is the way to go 🙂 None of this mound of nachos in a small skillet – the wrong ration of surface area!!
I love your recipes! But where do you find your monterey jack cheese?!
HI Mary! Which country are you in? I’m in Sydney, Australia, and I found it at Harris Farm markets and also at delis. But you can use any melting cheese you want – tasty, cheddar, gruyere 🙂
Again, Costco sells big blocks of Monterey Jack …
Will definitely be making these, Nagi. So glad I found your blog. Made your butter chicken recipe last week and it is the best butter chicken I have ever made ?
Having the same heatwave here in Brissie – Ann
OOOH!!! I haven’t been to Costco in AGES!! I must go! So glad you enjoyed this Ann, isn’t it awesome?? Luke Mangan recipe. He’s a fantastic chef!! N x PS No heatwave anymore…..it’s COLD!!!
A dark shirt is very important if you tend to wear your food!! The most important thing to remember about eating nachos is when cheese sauce is added to corn tortillas and you are sharing said cheese sauce and corn tortillas, calories and cholesterol cancel each other out. In case you didn’t grasp the meaning, eat all the nachos your belly can hold, they have NO calories!!
HA HA HA!! I love that Judy!!! YES to dark shirt and DOUBLE YES to calorie-free nachos!! 🙂