Friday night I decided to go for a a low-key supper of loaded nachos and Lambic, eaten on the couch so we could relax and catch up on the end of season 2 of Under the Dome.
Sometimes the simplest options are really the best.
For dinner-filling nachos, mere cheese and chips just won’t do, so my default is to pile on the refried beans and well-seasoned beef. Unfortunately, even my super-simple, slimmed down refried beans aren’t a good option anymore as they are High-FODMAP. But I’ve got a back for that!
About a year ago I learned from a fellow Low-FODMAPper that I learned that you can substitute a combo of white and sweet potatoes for mashed beans, and once they’re seasoned properly it’s tough to tell the difference.
To one of each potato I added salt, pepper, cumin, garlic-infused olive oil and enough milk to make it the right consistency. Pretty much the same thing s in my book, What to Feed Your Raiding Party, with one slight adjustment! And I know that potatoes have a bad reputation, but potatoes have a lot of good things going for them. Besides, this is nacho night, it’s okay to live a little!
My other issue with nachos, especially when you order them in a restaurant, is the habit of piling everything on in layers. Layers are good, but everything all piled up means you get some chips that are absolutely loaded down while the others are light or absolutely naked! So in my cookbook I suggest taking a little extra time to lay the chips out in a single layer on a baking sheet and then put the refried beans (or potatoes, in this case) into a plastic bag with the corner clipped and pipe them out onto each chip. No chip left (naked) behind!
I seasoned a pound of beef with salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, and oregano (skip the packaged mixes, there’s no need for them or their added preservatives) and added a can of diced tomatoes and about a half cup of water and let them simmer for a while. Then I spooned a little of the meat on top of each chip, then sprinkled the whole pan with cheese.
While it’s true that individually portioning out the toppings onto each chip takes a little longer to prepare (though, really not all that long) I think it makes for a better eating experience. Once they came out from under the broiler I topped them with diced fresh tomatoes and brought out sour cream, guacamole, and pickled jalapenos so Todd and I could each top our own nachos the way we wanted.
Another benefit to making the individual nachos? Makes it super easy to put away leftovers as well as reheat some the next day for snacking (though, I have to admit, they were pretty tasty when cold, too!).
We’ve been semi-social butterflies the last few Friday nights so it was nice to have a relaxing evening at home to rewind.