With the NBA finals in full swing, we decided last week to seek out some game day favorites from Tasty. The trilogy matchup of the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers demanded a recipe as mouthwatering as the fixture itself, and so we decided on Buffalo Chicken Nachos!
For much of my life, I had remained insulated from Mexican cuisine. It’s nowhere near as common in the U.K. In fact it kind of serves as a parallel to the popularity of Indian cuisine back home; both are spicy delicacies from more exotic locations, each tied in some way to the nation that enjoys it- as 19th century frontiers of exploration or colonialism. Back in the U.K, I live in a small town without much stuff to do, but even then the community has its obligatory Indian restaurant and at least a couple Indian take-out joints. And it’s the same deal over here; take a town comparable in size or population to Nailsea (England), such as De Pere, WI, and you will find no shortage of Taco Bell drive-thru’s or El Presidente restaurants.
Anyways, I became acquainted with Mexican during a road trip in the summer of 2014 through Southern California, and a year later it had turned into one of my favorite cuisines. Based purely on my own experience, I have had better luck finding a quality Mexican in the U.K than I have an Indian restaurant in the U.S. This is mostly due to that one time my now-roommate and I tried an Indian restaurant in downtown Eau Claire, WI circa fall 2012, and found a bunch of hairs and a random twig in our food- which was nowhere near the artistry of the Indian restaurants I am used to back home.
But I digress. This post is about nachos. And why nachos are fun. I first remember having nachos in Bath, England, where I was showing one of my best friends- an American- the Roman Baths as well as checking out a stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. I remember commenting how much I love the adhesive quality of the melted cheese, congealing all the tortilla chips together. Ever since that moment, I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making nachos.
I am pleased to report that this dream was realized with much success! I will, of course, post the recipe down below. The sauce was much to my liking, though it is perhaps necessary to note that you may not like it if you don’t like sauces that are too hot. The chicken ended up being super tender, and the Monterrey Jack was, of course, delicious. I thoroughly recommend this recipe for anyone looking to make good sports grub for the NBA finals, or indeed any game day.
Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Servings: 4-6
“INGREDIENTS
2 pounds cooked chicken
1 cup hot sauce
½ cup ranch dressing
9 ounces tortilla chips
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
½ tomato, diced
½ cup green onions, sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
In a bowl, mix the chicken with the hot sauce and the ranch.
In a large pan or skillet, lay down half of the tortilla chips, followed by half of the buffalo chicken, Monterey Jack, tomato, and green onions. Repeat with the remaining half of the ingredients.
Bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Serve!”
TumbleweedWrites 