Fox & Food: The Ultimate Nacho and Other Party Favorites
Photo by David Cicconi
Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
Get your game plan for your game day menu. Epicurious.com food editor Rhoda Boone and author Lorraine Wallace share tips for party favorites with Fox News Radio’s Lilian Huang Woo.
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ULTIMATE NACHOS
yield
Makes 12 servings
active time
45 minutes
total time
1 hour 15 minutes
Inspired by my mom Julie Boone, the family’s “Nacho Queen,” these nachos start with three essential ingredients: a dollop of homemade pinto bean dip, sliced jalapeños, and plenty of grated cheddar. The key to crispy nachos is to limit the number of ingredients that go into the oven with the chips.
This simple yet solid foundation is delicious on its own and provides a great canvas for your favorite fresh toppings.
Ingredients
For the grilled chicken:•2 tablespoons olive oil, plus mroe for grilling
•2 tablespoons lime juice
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1-inch thickness
For the pinto bean dip:•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1/3 cup chopped red onion
•2 cloves garlic, chopped
•3 tablespoons chopped red-bell pepper
•3/4 teaspoon chili powder
•1 15-ounce can low-sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained
•1/2 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
•1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
•3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the nachos:•1 13-ounce bag restaurant-style tortilla chips
•1 to 2 jalapeños (depending on heat), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
•8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
•8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
•1 medium tomato, chopped
•1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
•Sour cream, for serving
•Cilantro leaves, for serving
Additional toppings (pick one or more):•Guacamole with Aleppo Pepper
•Tomatillo Salsa with Serranos , or storebought tomatillo salsa
•Spicy Tomato Salsa with Cilantro and Chiles , or storebought tomato salsa
Preparation
Grill the chicken:
In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lime, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper together. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over. Toss to coat and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat a lightly oiled grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken turning once until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Allow to cool, then cut chicken in 1/2-inch cubes.
Make the bean dip:
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes more. Stir in the chili powder and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
To the bowl of a food processor, add the beans, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup water and pulse to combine. Add the onion mixture and pulse to combine. If necessary, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Assemble the nachos:
Preheat oven to 400°. Add a small dollop of bean dip to the center of each chip (about 1/4 teaspoon per chip) and divide chips among 2 rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle evenly with jalapeño slices and cheeses. Bake until cheese is bubbling and melted and the edges of chips are just starting to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Top with tomato, onion, sour cream, grilled chicken, and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Buffalo Turkey Chili
This recipe is back by popular demand from my soup cookbook! More people inquire—call me, text me, and email me—about this recipe than any other. It’s easy, you can make it ahead of time, it’s a beautiful color, and it doesn’t even contain the controversial ingredient in some chilis—beans.
Serves 8
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds ground turkey
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1¼ cups Crystal Hot Sauce or your own personal favorite
Two 28?ounce cans diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock, homemade or
store?bought
8 garlic cloves, chopped
One 7?ounce can diced green chiles, with their juices
1/3 cup tomato paste
1½ tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 to 4 cups crumbled blue cheese or grated mild cheddar or pepper Jack cheese, for topping
- Place a large, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add 1½ tablespoons of the oil. Add half of the turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until browned. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil to the pot and repeat the process with the remaining turkey. Return the first batch of turkey and any accumulated juices to the pot.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the hot sauce. Add the hot sauce mixture to the turkey, along with the tomatoes and their juices, stock, and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until reduced by a third, about 1½ hours.
- Stir in the green chiles and their juices, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes, and simmer to cook off the raw flavor of the tomato paste, about 15 minutes more.
- Ladle into shallow bowls and scatter with the cheese of your choice. Serve immediately.
Excerpted from MR. & MRS. SUNDAY SUPPERS © 2015 by Lorraine Wallace. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Macaroni and Cheese
This creamy mac ’n’ cheese is unique because you do not boil the elbows before assembling it. Just put your blender to work to create the sauce, combine it with the uncooked elbows, and bake. Note that the dish is best served piping hot, right out of the oven. If you have leftovers, you’ll need to mix in a tablespoon or two of water or milk per cup before reheating.
Serves 8
4 cups whole milk
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
Pinch or two of freshly grated nutmeg
2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound elbow macaroni
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13 × 9?inch baking dish.
- In a blender, puree the milk, ricotta cheese, mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, combine the cheddar cheese, milk mixture, and uncooked pasta. Pour into the prepared pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and stir gently. Bake, uncovered, until browned, 30 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER
From Dale Talde of Thistle Hill Tavern (courtesy of Brooklyn Chef’s Table)
Serves 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS
1 head (about 1 1/2 pounds) cauliflower
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce (
1/2 cup Sriracha
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into smallish dice
Blue cheese, crumbled, to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Crank up the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Trim the stem end from the cauliflower and leave the rest whole. Coat the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons canola oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast until tender and somewhat browned, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your cauliflower.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the Frank’s RedHot Sauce and Sriracha to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, then slowly whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until everything is melted and incorporated and bubbly. Remove from the heat.
- Cut the cauliflower head into florets. Heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat until hot, add the remaining teaspoon canola oil, then add the cauliflower and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the cauliflower until warmed through, then add the sauce. Sauté for a minute until everything is hot and the cauliflower is completely coated. Finish with a sprinkling of blue cheese.
