Mr P.'s Nachos Bake

When I first met Mr P., he lived in a share-house with a couple of young and untutored females.  Untutored in the sense of not having any training in cooking or keeping house; he even taught them how to change a lightbulb!  And he taught them how to cook.  (I'm always stunned when female friends tell me their hubbies don't cook.  Quelle horreur!)  Anyways, he is a fab cook, and does his very fair share of the household meals.  He also is the rice and pasta man of the house.  And the frying man ... I never do those:-)  

Funny story about Mr P.: he was always surrounded by women - his housemates, me and various friends.  He basically ran the roost, and his mates referred to his 'harem' :-)  It was quite the party house.  Myself and one of his housemates worked at a university library, so we 'knew' a lot of students.  We'd put up a flyer on the library counter, and come party night, there would be a hundred (or more) students turning up.  Oh those were the days!  I must dig out some photos ... And yes, he's still surrounded by women - four sisters, his lady workers (tee hee), me and lots of friends.

crunchy, tasty nachos

Serves 4 hungry eaters:


ingredients:


1 packet (175g./6 oz) corn chips

1 jar (375g./13 oz) thick and chunky salsa - make sure you  buy a gluten-free version if it's a problem

1 tin (400g./14 oz) red kidney beans, drained

310g. (2½ cups) tasty cheese, grated

250g. (8 oz) cooked chicken or ham or savoury mince or tofu chunks 

1 firm avocado (ripe is not good here), cut into chunks

2 spring onions/shallots/scallions, chopped

2 tbs pickled jalapeno chillies - optional

1-2 tsp chilli powder (I used a mild Korean gochugaru) - optional

1 bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped

salt and ground black pepper to taste

sour cream for serving (optional)


Method:


Grab a baking tray (31cm x 25cm x 5cm) and line with baking paper

Place half the packet of corn chips (about 88g.) over the baking paper

Spoon over 1/4 of the jar of salsa

Tip the tin of kidney beans over the salsa

Sprinkle on 3/4 cup (185g./6½ oz) cheese

Now layer the chicken (or ham or mince) over the cheese

On goes another 1/4 jar of the salsa

Sprinkle on the ½-1 tsp chilli powder if using

Add half the bunch of coriander/cilantro, then another 3/4 cup (185g.) of cheese

Next you add the other half packet of corn chips, and another 1/4 jar of salsa

Cast on the spring onions, the jalapenos, and the rest of the fresh coriander

Now you add the diced avocado, and the last quarter jar of salsa

Another ½-1 tsp of chilli powder, some salt and pepper, and cover the whole shebang with the rest of your cheese (which should be about 1 cup) - maybe add a bit more grated cheese if it looks too naked on top.  Mr P. felt it needed even more, but he is a man of excess:-)

Bake at 210C/410F for about 20-25 minutes till golden

Dollop on some sour cream, if you're feeling daring


Notes:

Use gluten-free salsa if you need to

Rinse the kidney beans if you want to get rid of the salty goop:-)

Try tofu in place of chicken, etc for a vego. version

A ripe avocado won't go so well here, as it will soften too much in the baking - use a firm (even very firm) one

The baking tray is something like 12 x 10 x 2 inches

start layering - corn chips and salsa on the go

we used this

on goes the first lot of cheese

Mr P. chops the chook

then add the chicken

then there's salsa and chilli flakes

and fresh coriander

and more corn chips and avocado ...

ready for the oven 

ready for eating after 20-25 mins. @ 210C/410F

smother in sour cream

Mr P. about to devour his dinner

Let's face it: Mr P. is a building designer, and therefore a real detail man (unlike me, who sees the overall picture), so when he says to follow his directions for this dish - do so, my friends!  He says the layering is important, so take him at his word.

    artwork © Sherry's Pickings

Oh yes, and here's me, a few (tee hee) years ago ...

me in my younger days at one of Mr P.'s outrageous parties

This is a 1950's Californian bathing suit that I found in an op shop years ago.  How it got to Australia is anybody's guess!  Those were the good old days when ladies were busty:-) so I used to be able to find heaps of great clothes from the 50's.