Loaded Beef Nachos with Homemade Queso
Loaded beef nachos built the right way — seasoned ground beef, fresh pico de gallo, homemade white American queso, and corn tortillas fried from scratch, layered twice so every chip is loaded. The ultimate game day platter.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo
- 1 large tomato, cored and diced
- ½ extra-large red onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 ½ limes, juiced
- 1 teaspoon Make It Happen AP Seasoning
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Seasoned Ground Beef
- 1 lb ground beef 90/10 or 85/15
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Make It Happen AP Seasoning
- 1 packet sazón
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1-2 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotles in adobo
Homemade Queso
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 2 oz diced green chiles ½ can
- 1 teaspoon Make It Happen AP Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon MSG
- 8 oz white American cheese from the deli counter as a block
- 6 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded
Chips and Assembly
- 12 corn tortillas
- Neutral oil for frying
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Mexican crema for drizzling
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Core and dice the tomato. Combine with red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Season with AP Seasoning, salt, and pepper, add lime juice, and mix. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with AP Seasoning, sazón, cumin, and chili powder, then stir in the adobo sauce. Cook 8-10 minutes until browned and mostly dry. Drain excess fat.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine heavy cream and crema. Stir in green chiles, AP Seasoning, cumin, and MSG. Bring to a bare simmer.
- Remove the pan completely from the heat. Add the white American and Monterey Jack a handful at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition melt before adding more. Keep warm.
- Cut tortillas into wedges. Heat neutral oil to 350°F and fry in batches about 2 minutes until golden and rigid. Drain and salt immediately.
- Spread half the chips on a large platter. Pour over queso, scatter half the shredded cheese. Add remaining chips, more queso, and the rest of the shredded cheese.
- Top with ground beef, spoon pico down the center, drizzle with crema, and finish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Deli-counter block white American cheese is essential for smooth queso. Pre-sliced sandwich American will not give the same result.
- Take the queso base fully off the heat before adding cheese. Adding cheese to a boiling base causes it to break and turn grainy.
- Salt fried tortillas the instant they leave the oil while the surface is still hot.
- Build in two layers so the bottom chips get queso too.
- All components can be made ahead. Assemble just before serving.
