Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Tasty Tuesday: Lazy Chili Baked Nachos

I've been trying to make and stick to weekly meal plans this year, but sometimes the evening doesn't go as planned and I have to be flexible. (Or, if I'm being totally honest, sometimes I get lazy and don't feel like making a meal that requires considerable time and effort.)

If I need to change things up and make something really fast and easy, 90% of the time I'll just stick a frozen pizza in the oven or make some pasta and jarred sauce. There are times, though, when I decide to get a little more creative and throw something together using random ingredients I find in the kitchen.

These nachos were the result of doing just that.

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One thing I love about nachos is that you can add pretty much anything and they'll be delicious. They can be a little more involved, like these Buffalo Chicken Potato Nachos with Avocado Ranch Sour Cream, or they can be super simple (like today's recipe).

Honestly, I debated whether I should even bother sharing these nachos on my blog. Sometimes when a recipe is this easy, I feel like I don't need to tell anyone how to make it. 

In the end, I decided to post it because I always appreciate when the bloggers I follow share some of their ridiculously easy go-to recipes for those nights when they don't really feel like cooking. Most of us don't have the time and energy necessary to make elaborate meals every evening, so it's nice to have a few recipes like this on hand for those "I'm too busy/lazy/tired to do anything in the kitchen" nights.

Lazy Chili Baked Nachos

A Divulge and Indulge original recipe.

Ingredient List:
  • 2 cups chili (I used a whole can of Campbell's Home Style Spicy Vegetable Chili, but any kind of chili will work. When I make homemade chili in the future, I'll probably end up using some of the leftovers to make a slightly different version of these nachos.)
  • Tortilla chips (I didn't measure them out. I just kept adding chips to the baking dish until the surface was pretty much covered. It would probably be best to just have a full bag of tortilla chips on hand so you can use as many or as few as you'd like.)
  • 1 15.5 oz. can refried beans
  • 1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar jack blend.)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • Toppings: guacamole, fresh diced tomatoes, salsa, fresh cilantro, sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, sour cream, etc. (I used guacamole, fresh quartered grape tomatoes, and sliced pickled jalapeño peppers.)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and begin adding tortilla chips to cover the bottom.

3.  Heat the can of refried beans in a small pan over low heat. (This should make them easier to spoon over the tortilla chips.) Stir in the garlic powder and chipotle chili powder.

4.  Once the beans are warmed through, spoon them over the tortilla chips. 

5.  Add the chili in spoonfuls over the beans and chips.

6.  Cover the nachos with shredded cheese and sliced pickled jalapeño peppers (if you're using them).

7.  Bake the nachos for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

8.  Add any additional toppings and serve warm.

We had these nachos for dinner, but they would also be great for a snack or appetizer at a party. This makes a lot of food, but the recipe could easily be cut down if you don't think you can (or should) eat a huge platter of nachos.

3 comments:

  1. They look delicious!!!!! I could go for some nachos right now.

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  2. i'm glad you shared it! i wish more people shared easy recipes, because there are some people (me) who need lots of help and more simple recipes. i have no desire to make complicated recipes all the time, especially on a weekday.
    ps. have i told you how i make my nachos? doritos, black beans, cheese and sour cream. they are amazing. my mum always used doritos and i thought that was how everyone made nachos haha.

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  3. WOW! these look so yummy! I'll have to try these out sometime. Thanks for sharing!!!

    xo
    Allie

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