Ingredients
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Can Refried Pinto Beans
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1/2 – 1 Cup Broth
2 TBSP Butter
2 TBSP Flour
1 Cup Milk
1 TBSP Hot Sauce
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese + 1 Cup For Topping (optional)
1 TBSP Chili Powder
1/2 TBSP Garlic Powder
2 TSP Dried Oregano
2 TSP Onion Powder
1 TSP Paprika
Dash of Cayenne Pepper (or more depending on how spicy you want it)
2 TBSP Salt (see note)
OPTIONAL: chopped scallions, salsa, and sour cream for topping.
Execution
Make Nacho Cheese Sauce: In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the 2TBSP butter. Add 2 TBSP flour and stir until a paste forms. Let it cook for a minute or so and then add the 1 cup of milk. Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken (about 4 mins or so). Once the mixture starts to thicken add 1 TBSP of hot sauce and stir until fully combined. Turn off the heat and then add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and combined. Add about 1 TSP of salt, taste, and add more salt until flavorful (see note). Set aside.
Cook The Ground Beef: Heat a stainless steel or cast iron pan until very hot, once hot coat the pan with about 1 TBSP oil (preferably beef tallow), reduce the heat to medium high, then add 1 LB of ground beef. Fully cook the ground beef and then add your spices (1 TBSP chili powder, 1/2 TBSP garlic powder, 1 TSP dried oregano, 2 TSP onion powder, 1 TSP paprika, and cayenne pepper). Mix until fully combined. Add 1-2 TSP of salt, taste, and add more salt until flavorful (see note).
Add Refried Beans: Add 1 can of refried pinto beans to the cooked ground beef pan. Then add 1/2 cup of broth. Stir everything thoroughly until combined. The mixture should be thick, yet pourable…but not soupy. If it’s too thick, add a little more broth until it’s nice and sloppy. Taste for flavor and add dashes of salt until flavorful (see note).
Make Nachos: Place parchment paper on a small to medium sized cookie sheet and pour out the bag of tortilla chips. Spread the chips out evenly. Then, pour your ground beef mixture over the entire sheet of chips. Use a spoon to spread the mixture until almost all of the chips have some meat mixture on them. Next, pour your nacho cheese sauce over the nachos. Again, use a spoon to spread out the cheese so that it is covering almost every chip. Finally, top your nachos with additional shredded cheddar cheese (optional).
Broil The Nachos: Place the baking tray in your oven and broil on high until the cheese is melted (only about 1-2 minutes). Watch the nachos carefully! You don’t want to burn the cheese. Everything is already cooked and hot, you’re just trying to melt the cheese and get a nice golden brown top on your nacho cheese sauce.
Add Optional Toppings: Remove the pan from the oven and top with optional toppings such as sliced scallions, chopped tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or anything else that floats your boat.
Serve The Nachos: Serve the nachos right from the baking sheet while hot! Use a large spatula to scoop portions of the nachos onto plates or let your guests dig in from the tray. Enjoy!
Additional tips
- Salt: The amount of salt that you will need at each step highly depends on the kind of salt that you are using. This is why I try not to give specific amounts for salt. 1 TBSP of table salt is going to taste waaaay different than 1 TBSP of flaked Maldon sea salt (what I primarily cook with). Learning how to properly salt your food is something everyone should learn. Taste your food as you cook and add salt until the flavors start to “pop.” If your food ever tastes bland, add a dash of salt, mix well, and taste. Still bland? Add a tiny bit more salt. Rinse and repeat until you say “damn, that taste great!”. Only add a small amount of salt at a time to prevent over-salting. Remember, you can always add more salt, but you can’t remove salt once it’s been added.
- Spices: The spices I listed above are just a general guideline. I actually don’t measure at all when I make this meal. I just dump a bunch of those spices onto the meat and taste as I go. You can also replace all of the spices with a pack of “Taco Seasoning” instead. Just have fun with this dish—it’s supposed to be easy.
