This is Nacho Brother's Fast Food...

True Confession #1: Sometimes, I NEED nachos.

True Confession #2: Sometimes, I NEED nachos and go through the drive-thru to get them.

Okay, I feel better now. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Yes, I sometimes succumb to my addiction of drive-thru loaded nachos. Why? Nacho cheese sauce.

I know that "processed" and "prefabricated" nacho cheese sauce doesn't usually--okay, almost NEVER--contain "real food." Not even dairy. But it's convenient and has a good "mouth feel." Plus all of those chemicals taste so good.

FIRST PROBLEM: Where can I find a homemade nacho cheese sauce that delivers?

Enter Drew Kime. He teaches you how to cook like your grandmother did--well, like one of my grandmothers did. Among other FABULOUS recipes, he has a great one for nacho cheese sauce.

NEXT PROBLEM: I want to make loaded nachos. I NEED pico de gallo. And guacamole. Where can I find good recipes?

Enter Ree Drummond, AKA Pioneer Woman. She has Tex-Mex and ranch food down to a science--well, as much as a non-science person can. Still, you should check her website out. In fact, if you look at the right column of my blog, you'll see a list of blogs that inspire me, with Ree and Drew on that list. Chances are, Ree and Drew both have new recipes to try this weekend--worth a look.

So, make Ree's pico and guacamole, get the ingredients ready for Drew's nacho cheese sauce, and have the tortilla chips on standby...so that you can sample Ree's handiwork while you make the nacho beef.

As for the nacho beef? No problem there. I have it under control.

Headlining in our nacho beef session today, we have...

Ground meat (this week it's bison), coriander, cumin, chili powder, oregano, tomato paste, chicken stock, diced green chiles, and chipotles in adobo. Not pictured? Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (I was really excited about the nachos. Sorry.)

The onion? Diversionary tactic so you don't look at the clutter on the hutch to the right or on the left side of my kitchen table.

The bison? It was cheaper than any other ground meat at the store. Plus, it's "beefier" in taste and has less fat.

Economy and nutrition--a fringe benefit to reading this blog.

So, you'll notice that this ingredient list is very similar to my chili recipe. I like my nacho/taco meat to have the same Tex-mex flavors as my chili, just without the beans and chunky veggies. AND...most importantly, I refuse to buy flavoring packets. Two reasons: too much salt, sugar, and chemicals to suit me; and they're often a "one trick pony"--I prefer to have multi-tasking ingredients.

But I digress.

To start the nacho meat, I add some olive oil to my cast iron skillet (because the bison meat's fat content is minimal) and then start browning the meat.

Now, before it gets TOO browned, I need to add my spices. Remember our lovely chili quartet?

Chili powder, coriander, cumin, and oregano--1-3 teaspoons of each...you decide.

Seasoning Quartet #2: Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season to taste.

Mix the seasoning into the browning meat. When the meat is browned...

Add the can of chopped chiles. If you are a canning maven and plan ahead, use your own homemade roasted chiles. And send me the recipe.

Next, let's talk about chipotles. When I made chili last time I was on my last frozen chipotle and didn't have any original photos to use. So I utilized the talents of some flickr users. Today, I'm showing my own photography handiwork.

Depending on where you live, you may have a hard time finding these peppers. In my "big box" grocery store, they're located in the Mexican food section. And there's only one brand to get. If you have an even better brand to use, let me know.

Here's what they look like in the can. As soon as you open the can, you'll smell that smoky, vinegary heat. It's unmistakable.

And here's one on a separate cutting board. Be CAREFUL with these like you would be with any hot pepper.

Split your chipotle in half lengthwise. Scrap out the seeds unless you like it REALLY spicy. It will still be spicy--chipotles are smoked jalapenos. But they're worth a try. Use half if you're a cautious cook. If you're Pioneer Woman, you're probably going to use at least two. She's a spicy gal, I tell ya.

I scrape out most of the seeds--I'm a little adventurous--and then slice each half into half again so that I have a quartered seedless chipotle. Then chop as finely as you desire.

Add the chipotle to your nacho meat. But don't stop there.

Add some of the vinegary adobo sauce from the can to your meat. One or two teaspoons is good. Any more and you'll not have enough for future chipotle use.

Now it's time for the saucy component of our nacho meat.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste...

And 1/2 cup of stock or broth. You want just enough sauce to coat the meat without drowning the tortilla chips. In a pinch, I've substituted bottled pasta sauce or leftover tomato puree and just made sure it reduces to minimize soggy tortilla chips.

You can let the meat stay warm while you make Drew's nacho cheese sauce.

A couple of notes while making the cheese sauce. 1)Have some extra milk on hand if you notice the cheese sauce getting too thick after either the cream cheese melts or you've added your shredded cheese; adding milk at either point will NOT ruin the sauce. 2) If you use unsalted butter for the sauce, taste it at the end to see if it needs more salt. The cheese adds some saltiness, but it may not be enough for your taste. 3) You can definitely store the extra sauce in the refrigerator for a later use. Drew suggests reheating it in the microwave. Think of all the things you could use cheese sauce for--burritos, creamy cheesy hashbrowns, cheesy scrambled eggs...

But I digress.

Now it's time for layering the nachos. Add a layer of tortilla chips and then some beef.

Now, add some nacho cheese sauce.

The grayish stuff is heated through and mashed up beans that I didn't use in my chili. I seasoned them with my nacho spices as I waited for the beef to be ready. The black beans kind of ruined the color, but they taste good.

Layer some nacho cheese sauce over it all.

YUM--nacho cheese sauce without the chemicals.

It's a beautiful thing.

But we're not done yet. Remember the pico de gallo? That's your next layer.

BE STILL MY HEART.

Or as Pioneer Woman would say...

LAWSIE MERCY.

I was shaking from anticipation in this shot--sorry for the blurriness.

You know what makes these so good? The freshness. All of the fresh cilantro and lime juice in the pico and guac to the smell of cooking nacho meat to the natural creaminess of the nacho cheese sauce--it all comes together in a delicious marriage of spicy, creamy, fresh, and crunchy goodness.

Plus, with these nachos, you can add as much stuff as you want. No charge for extra sides or helpings.


One drawback, though: at this point, you may start to cry.

And when you get to your last chip...

And last spoonful of guacamole...

You may have to make more. A lot more.

And when you run out, you may have to do a midnight run to the "big box" store for more ingredients.

And then be obsessed with making them everyday.

And then have to run 3 miles a day on the treadmill to compensate.

Not that I would get obsessed about pico de gallo, or guacamole, or nacho cheese sauce. Not me.

Vive le nachos! --bjh

P.S. I'll update this post with the recipe later on--I need to eat some more nachos first. :)

P.P.S. I solemnly swear to never again promise a recipe to be posted on a certain day and not deliver. I foolishly underestimated my week.