I love nachos! But I’m spoiled on the kind I make so now I don’t even try the restaurant ones.
I modified this from a Rachel Ray recipe to lighten up the fat and sodium, but still full of flavor.
- 1lb lean 97% ground beef
- 1/2 cup of onions (red or white)
- 1 jalepeno, chopped with seeds discarded unless you want a LOT of heat. The heat is in the seeds.
- 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed to reduce salt-pinto, black, OR red
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained or 1 fresh tomato chopped
- 1 clove of garlic or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- spices: chili powder, cumin, red pepper, salt. Adjust accordingly.
Brown the beef, onions, garlic, jalepeno. Add cans of beans and tomatoes and spices. Let simmer while making cheese sauce and toppings.
White cheese sauce (where most of the calories/fat live)
- melt 1 stick of butter
- add 1/8 cup of flour. Stir together and cook on med. heat for 2-3 minutes (DO NOT BROWN!!)
- add 2 cups of skim milk. As this thickens, add more milk if needed until desired consistency.
- 1/2 cup of shredded reduced fat sharp cheese. Melt in white sauce on low heat for 2 minutes.
Toppings
- can of sliced black olives
- chopped cilantro
- chopped green onions
- salsa
- reduced fat sour cream
Assembly
Layer tortilla chips on plate.
Spoon meat/beans on top
Add cheese sauce (remember, most of the fat/calories are in the sauce)
Add desired toppings.