Quick! Your friends are coming over, and you haven’t had the chance to make anything in the way of a snack. So, what might the solution be? How about a large platter of perfect nachos? They’re hearty, they have much in the way of layers of flavor, and everyone loves them!
Perfect nachos aren’t a myth: they can be your very own Wednesday evening among friends. They’re not very hard to make, you just have to pay attention to the details. Once you’ve got a rhythm and a nacho-making philosophy down, things will be pretty simple indeed. Until then, read these tips below and improve your style!
You’ll find that what you want to avoid is a soggy, cheese-drenched mess. The secret is not learning to make nachos from scratch, but finding the balance in your method (maybe also using a bit of madness) and making sure every ingredient is as great as it should be.
5 tips to make perfect nachos
1. Choose the right tortilla chips
Now, the perfect nachos are the ones that can carry a lot of weight. If you love nachos, you probably love topping them with your favorite ingredients. For that to happen, you’ll need some sturdy, thicker chips that won’t crush under a river of melty cheese. Buy multiple brands and do some weight tests. It’s a great excuse to consume copious amounts of nachos. Since it’s for science, right?
2. Get real cheese!
It’s all about the taste and the meltiness of them. Buy a cheese which is a classic. Don’t get something processed, full of weird compounds that will ultimately leave an artificial taste in your mouth. Your nachos deserve the best. A good nachos cheese is one that melts well and doesn’t taste like burnt rubber. Something like Cheddar, which also brings a nice color to the proceedings. Something that will envelop the nachos and other toppings in an unforgettable flavor.
3. Be an architect for your nachos
As in learn how to build your platter for the best results. First of all, don’t build your platter vertically, because it will become a house of cards when you try to eat it. Use some tin foil as the base to make clean up much easier. Spread out the tortilla chips on the baking sheet or whatever it is you’re using. This will give the cheese room to melt and the chips leeway to become crispy, while everything cooks evenly thanks to that space.
Also, pay extra attention to layering. Don’t try to save time by hastily throwing everything together. Spend some extra minutes spreading the tortilla chips apart. Then take the slices of cheese and do your best to spread those as well over the nachos. The final layer should be the rest of your toppings and your sauce, nicely and meticulously spread out. It’s all about the details, remember?
4. Make your own sauces
It doesn’t matter what sauces you pick, just make them yourself. Sauces are the blood of the nachos, they should run through everything, and touch every other ingredient. Not to mention that everything you use to cook them should be fresh and flavorful. For perfectly customized nachos, this is the only way. This is how you put yourself on your nacho plate!
Speaking of sauces, they won’t deal well with the heat in the oven. So don’t put them through that. Not to mention that your tortilla chips might end up soggy and not at all crispy if you bake them with the sauces. Your best options? Guacamole and salsa, of course!
5. Customize
Don’t go for the basic option. Try to customize once the tortilla chips, beans, and cheese are out of the oven. Use plenty of herbs, season to your heart’s content, and look up ways to make the sauces a little bit special. Add some chives or spring onion on top, for green fresh goodness. Try some corn kernels or some fried shredded bacon on top. If you’re up to it, think of what your friends like and try to incorporate that into your nachos. What says better “I love you” than customizing food for someone in particular?
