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Hey guys. So can we all just agree that the dumpster fire that is 2016 needs to go away? Don’t get me wrong, parts of it were great. Parts. But there have been so many things this year that just made me sigh. A heavy, exhausted, please make it stop kind of sigh.

But, we can at least say that it’s over now. It’s time to ring in the new year with a good attitude and celebrate… nay, REJOICE that this year is finally over.

And what better way to celebrate not just the new year, but anything, than with some kickass nachos.

I call these nachos “Dumpster Fire” nachos not just because 2016 truly was a dumpster fire of a year, but because I piled a ton of crap on here. A ton. And it has salsa, jalapenos and jalapeno ranch to add to the fiery taste. I also fried up some homemade tortilla chips. Well, as homemade as you can get frying up store bought corn tortillas. It’s surprisingly easy and they fry in less than a minute. I highly recommend doing it, if not for this recipe, then at least at some point in your life. Ever wonder why restaurant chips taste differently from the kind you buy at the store? Fry your own – it tastes just like it.

To add another level of depth to this pile of fire and deliciousness, I added jalapeno ranch (as I mentioned above). This is made super easy with my DIY Ranch Seasoning, 1/2 c. of milk, 1/2 c. of mayonnaise and a diced jalapeno. But of course feel free to buy a store bought alternative. The beauty in these bad boys lies in all of the garbage piled on top, so please don’t shy away from adding more, more moreeeee to these.

What I added:

Refried beans (can be made from leftovers of my Slow Cooker Charro Beans)
Seasoned ground beef
Shredded cheese
Pico de Gallo
Salsa
Sour cream
Jalapeno Ranch
Sliced jalapenos

What I wish I had also added:

Seriously. I love cooking and eating but loathe shopping, which is all that stopped me from adding the extras. Succeed where I failed. Add one or all and I promise you’ll be pleased!

Until next time. X

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Items used in this recipe:

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Dumpster Fire Nachos

Ingredients

For the chips:

white corn tortillas, about 20
pinch of salt
peanut oil, for frying

For the jalapeno ranch:

1 1/2 TB DIY Ranch Seasoning
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. mayonnaise, sour cream or greek yogurt
1 jalapeno, finely diced

For assembly:

refried beans, prepared, about 1 c.
1 lb ground chuck
1 TB vegetable oil
1 TB taco seasoning
1/2 c. water
2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
salsa, prepared, about 1/2 c.
pico de gallo, prepared, about 1/2 c.
sour cream
1 jalapeno, sliced into rounds

Instructions

For the chips:

Pour about an inch of oil into a frying pan or up to the fill line of a deep fryer and heat to 350°F.
Cut the tortillas like a pizza, into six equal triangles. Drop about 12 at a time into the oil, agitating them to make sure they don’t stick. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute, and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

For the jalapeno ranch:

Combine the milk, mayonnaise and ranch seasoning in a small bowl, stirring so there are no lumps. Stir in the diced jalapeno and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes so the flavors can meld.

For the nachos:

Heat the oil a large skillet over medium heat and brown the beef. Do not drain. Add the taco seasoning and the water and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
Arrange the chips in a large pile on a parchment lined baking sheet. Top with refried beans, the seasoned ground beef, and the shredded cheese. Broil on high for less than a minute, just long enough for the cheese to melt.
Continue topping with the salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream and jalapeno ranch to taste.
Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Feel free to sub in store bought items like tortilla chips, refried beans and jalapeno ranch, if you’d like. Here at Away From the Box we like to make stuff from scratch.