Chicken-Chili Nachos with Spicy Cheddar Sauce

A homemade

nachos platter is so much better than the one at your favorite bar. Salsa made

with all fresh ingredients, creamy cheese sauce without a lot of fat, and lean

ground chicken make this recipe not only flavorful and satisfying but lighter

than most restaurant platters as well.

Serve it as

party food or as a casual, “community” dinner for four.

Tip: You can make the nachos with

leftover chili, but keep in mind that ground chicken or ground turkey have less

fat than ground beef, which can make the chips soggy with oil.

Serves 4 (as a main course)

• For the Chicken-Chili Nachos
• 1 tbsp
• olive oil
• 1 lb ground
• chicken (thigh or breast meat)
• 1-2 serrano
• chiles, finely chopped
• 1 garlic
• clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 small
• onion, chopped
• 1/2 small
• green bell pepper, chopped
• sea salt
• freshly
• ground black pepper
• 1 15-oz can
• chili beans, rinsed well (black beans or kidney beans work too)
• 1 cup
• tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp
• chile powder
• 1/2 tsp
• ground cumin
• large nacho
• chips, enough to cover a platter, slightly piled
• 1 cup Fresh Salsa
• sour cream,
• for serving
• For the Spicy Cheddar Sauce
• 1 tsp olive
• oil
• 1 jalapeno
• chile, finely chopped
• 1 habanero
• chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups
• shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup
• milk
• 1/4 tsp
• dried red chile flakes
• sea salt
• Cheese Sauce Ingredients
• Preparation
• For the Chicken-Chili Nachos
• Heat a pot
• over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground chicken, serrano
• chile(s), garlic, onion, and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook,
• breaking up the chicken, until the vegetables soften and the chicken is just
• cooked through, 6-7 minutes.
• Chicken Mixture Beginning to Cook Add the
• beans, tomato sauce, chile powder, and cumin and bring to a simmer. Reduce the
• heat and cook 15 minutes. (The chili should be thick.) Taste for seasoning and
• add more salt if desired.
• Chili Beginning to CookCooked Chili
• For the Spicy Cheddar Sauce
• Heat a
• saucepan over medium-low heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. (Don’t overdo
• the oil. It will cause the cheese to separate and become stringy. A little stringiness is okay.)
• Add the
• jalapeno and habanero and season with salt. Cook until beginning to soften, 4
• minutes. Add the milk and warm 30 seconds. Gradually stir in the cheese and
• chile flakes. Stir constantly to melt and blend in the cheese. Remove from the

heat.

Cheese Sauce

To Assemble and Serve

Spread

nacho chips on a platter, piling slightly. Pour the cheese sauce over the chips

and spoon the chili on top. Top with salsa and dollop with sour cream. Serve

right away.

Chips on the Platter Cheese Sauce on Chips Chili Added Salsa Added