Chili Cheese Nachos

Make Chili Cheese Nachos now: layered chili, silky cheese, and crispy chips ready in 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ onion chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, (drained)
• 1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, (undrained)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (2 ounce) can of green chilies
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 cups shredded pepper jack
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• Green onion
• Jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 bag (13 ounces) salted tortilla chips

Instructions

Step 1: Brown the meat and build the chili

Cook and stir the ground beef with the finely chopped onion and smashed garlic in a hot skillet until the meat is crumbly and deeply browned, then drain off excess fat. Transfer the drained beef to a large pot and fold in the drained kidney beans, the undrained diced tomatoes, a spoon of tomato paste and the canned green chilies. Season with cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, bring the mixture briefly to a boil then lower to a gentle simmer until the vegetables soften and the flavors meld (about 15–20 minutes). Taste and adjust salt and pepper so the chili is robustly seasoned and slightly saucy but still chunky.

Step 2: Make the luscious cheese sauce

Warm the heavy cream in a medium saucepan until tiny bubbles gather at the edges, then lower the heat and whisk in the shredded sharp cheddar and shredded pepper jack in batches until the mixture becomes a glossy, silky, homogeneous sauce. Stir in the pinch of salt, onion powder, garlic powder and a touch of chili powder; fold in the sour cream at the end for silkiness. You want a smooth, pourable cheese ribbon that clings to a wooden spoon and drapes slowly off the edge — bright, velvety, and speckled with faint orange threads of melted pepper jack.

Step 3: Assemble the nachos and finish with garnishes

On a large round white serving plate, spread a thin base of warm cheese, then pile golden, slightly curled tortilla chips in an irregular heap. Spoon a generous layer of the chunky chili over the chips, add another scatter of chips, then ladle the warm cheese sauce so it cascades and pools between layers. Dot with sour cream, scatter finely sliced green onion and thin rounds of jalapeño, and leave one solitary chip propped against the plate as an invitation. Serve immediately while the cheese remains glossy and the chips retain crisp peaks.

Notes

• Use 80/20 ground beef for best flavor and a little fat to carry the seasonings.
• Drain the beans well to avoid soggy nachos.
• Warm the cheese sauce slowly and add cheese in batches to prevent graininess.
• Reheat chili gently and add a splash of cream if the cheese tightens.
• For a lighter meal, swap ground beef for ground turkey or tempeh.