Barbecue Chicken Nachos

Friends, I have to level with you here: I am having a bad week. Work is repeatedly and aggressively kicking my butt, and it’s not doing great things for my state of mind. I had planned to write a long, detailed post today, regarding the making of bagels (great, NOW I WANT A BAGEL)… but it’s just not going to happen today, unfortunately. So, I will save that post for a day when I can do it justice, and instead, show you the kind of “recipe” that I really need in my life during a week like this one – quick, easy, a little bit comfort food-y/junky, and really, really delicious.

Please try to contain yourselves - I know my photography is awe-inspiring.

Barbecue Chicken Nachos
(makes 3-4 dinner-size portions – if you’re in to eating nachos as a meal, WHICH I AM)

Tortilla chips (though I am a devout lover of Scoops tortilla chips, this dish really requires the old school flat chips, for maximum cheese and topping coverage) – about 2/3 bag
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced small
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (yes, I do still have sauce left over from my shrimp and grits, why do you ask?)
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin and caramelized
handful of pickled jalapenos or hot cherry peppers, chopped
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Toppings:
Sour cream
Salsa
Shredded lettuce
Whatever you want

1.) Start by cooking your chicken. I chose to bake mine – I lined a casserole dish with foil (easy clean-up!), seasoned my chicken with salt and pepper, and baked it at 350° for about 30 minutes, until it was cooked through, but still moist.

2.) Dice the chicken into 1/2″ pieces, then toss with barbecue sauce.

3.) Preheat your broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (easy clean-up!), and spread your tortilla chips out into an even layer (more exposed surface area = more room for cheese and chicken on every chip). Evenly distribute your barbecue chicken, caramelized onions, and chopped hot peppers across your layer of chips, then cover everything with the grated cheddar.

4.) Pop the whole thing under the broiler for a couple minutes – until the cheese is melted and bubbling (keep an eye on it, though – there is nothing sadder in life than burned nachos!!)

5.) Serve with toppings of your choice – sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, fresh diced tomatoes, etc. The world is your oyster!

A beer to accompany your nachos is encouraged, but not required.

If you are extra classy like me, you can just throw a trivet onto your coffee table, plop the whole baking sheet right down and get to work. I mean, we had a University of Michigan basketball game that was about to start, there was no time for formalities like a platter, or utensils.

I can confidently say that these were the best nachos I’ve ever made. You might have noticed by now that I love the combination of sweet and spicy – so a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce, plus the spice of the hot peppers was HEAVEN to me. (Not unlike the flavors in the Chicken Meatball Pizza I spoke of yesterday.)

And now, I return to sighing heavily and wishing for the weekend,
Tina

(Elsewhere on the internet, I have guest posted today for my dear friend Rhiannon… Check it out if you’re interested in learning how to make cupcakes that will impress everyone you know!)