Dessert Nachos

November 6: National Nachos Day

We blogged before about savory nachos—crispy corn tortilla chips held together with refried beans and melted shredded cheese. Sometimes they are also topped with spiced ground meat, fresh sliced tomatoes/lettuce leaves/jalapeños/onions/cilantro and creamy condiments like sour cream and guacamole.

We also enjoy sweet nachos as a dessert after our Mexican meals. The corn tortilla chips are replaced with baked flour tortilla wedges sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. Toppings include fresh cut fruits to mimic their savory counterparts (strawberry=tomatoes, kiwi=lettuce and cilantro and mango=cheese). We also crowned our dessert nachos with vanilla ice cream to resemble sour cream. It is a colorful confection to share and indulge in, especially on National Nachos Day! 

Recipe

For the chips

  • ¼ – 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 4 – 5 soft flour tortillas, medium size
  • Cinnamon sugar

For the chips

  • Mango, sliced into thin slivers
  • 3-4 strawberries, chopped
  • 1 kiwi, skinned and chopped
  • Vanilla ice cream (see Notes for substitutions)
  • Fresh mint leaves (optional garnish)

Directions

Brush melted butter on both sides of each of the flour tortillas. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Stack the tortillas and cut them into 6-8 wedges. 

Place them on a baking pan lined with foil or parchment paper (do not overlap the wedges). Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the wedges on the other side and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the butter-cinnamon-sugar mixture to caramelize and the chips to cool to a crisp.

While the tortillas are baking in the oven, slice the mango into thin slivers and chop the strawberries and kiwi. Arrange the tortilla chips onto a plate. 

Scoop 3 rounds of ice cream in the middle of the chips. Scatter the mango slivers and chopped strawberries and kiwis on top. Garnish with mint leaves (optional). Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Choose other favorite fruit toppings for a unique dessert nachos.
  • Instead of vanilla ice cream, use dollops of sweetened whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.
  • It is optional to drizzle chocolate sauce or dulce de leche (caramel) over the dessert nachos.

Nachos

Nachos

November 6: National Nachos Day

Fall is football season in America, and sometimes Highlander wants to eat a super satisfying snack, such as nachos, while watching the games on television. Tortilla chips topped with melted processed cheese is a “wimpy” chip-and-dip excuse for nachos! Make them “macho” by layering a substantial amount of beans, shredded cheddar, hot peppers, sour cream, guacamole and more! Depending on how fully-loaded they are, nachos can be a meal in itself.  This Tex-Mex treat is great as a game day munchie and is an appropriate appetizer for National Nachos Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from The Recipe Place and Simply Recipes)

Ingredients

  • ½ bag of tortilla chips (we used Xochitl brand totopos de maíz)
  • 1 can refried beans (we used fat-free pinto beans)
  • 2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (we used fat-free)
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced
  • sour cream
  • guacamole
  • cilanto leaves (optional garnish)

Directions

On a flat baking sheet or oven-proof ceramic platter, scatter the chips evenly on the bottom. Spread a layer of the refried beans on top of the chips. Sprinkle the cheese over the beans and chips.

Nachos

Arrange a few jalapeño pepper slices on top of the cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with sour cream, guacamole and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Nachos

Notes

  • The above recipe is a vegetarian version. For meaty nachos, add chili con carne or spicy cooked ground beef, shredded chicken or pulled pork on top of the refried beans. Additional garnishes may include diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, chopped onions and salsa.
  • See our guacamole blog recipe post for National Guacamole Day on November 14.
  • International Day of the Nacho is observed on October 21.