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Not Your Regular Nachos: Gourmet Nacho Bites

partysugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:28 -0700

The other day I saw a bag of Yukon gold potatoes sitting on the counter at my parents house. Since potatoes weren't on that night's dinner menu, I knew I could use them to make a delicious and easy appetizer. Inspired by a crisp potato recipe from the latest Everyday Food magazine, I decided to make these nachos with blue cheese, green onions, and grape tomatoes. The final, bite-sized result was the perfect amuse bouche - warm, crunchy, salty - pure scrumptiousness. Some of my guests dislike blue cheese, so I made a fresh mozzarella version to suit their picky tastebuds. The recipe is highly adaptable, you can top the potato chip with any cheese and vegetable combination, so get it now and read more.

Gourmet Nacho Bites
Original Recipe by PartySugar

Ingredients

3 Yukon gold potatoes (chose potatoes that have a large diameter). thinly sliced into rounds
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
salt
pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/4 blue cheese*, cut or crumbled into small pieces
2 green onions, dark green ends removed, minced
10-15 grape tomatoes, cut into quarters

Directions

Preheat oven to 475°F. Finely chop garlic, and sprinkle with salt. Using a chef's knife, press flat side of blade back and forth across garlic to make a paste. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in salt and pepper and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter or oil. On a large-rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with garlic mixture; bake until browned on underside, 15 to 20 minutes.
When the potatoes are crisp, remove from pan. Pat excess oil off with a paper towel and remove any burnt chips. Transfer to a clean baking sheet.

Change oven temperature to broil.
Top each chip with a cheese cube, a sprinkle of green onions, and a tomato wedge.

Return baking sheet to oven. Broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and vegetables are soft.
Serve immediately.

Serves 5.

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Fish Taco-Bite Nachos

partysugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:15:41 -0700

Over the weekend, my dad made a big batch of coleslaw. Since he's going on vacation, he loaded me up with the leftovers. I've always loved the crunch of coleslaw on fish tacos, so I translated the concept of fish tacos into nachos. The final result was a delicious, bite-sized fish taco. I topped baked wheat tortillas with gruyere cheese, a creamy guacamole, and fresh fish. The coleslaw and jewel-like, chopped tomatoes finished off the nachos. A squeeze of lime juice is the must-have garnish. To look at the recipes, read more.

Fish Taco Bite Nachos
Modified from Tyler Florence and Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

For coleslaw*
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or pinch
1 store-bought bag shredded slaw mix (containing red and green cabbage and carrots)
For guacamole
1 Hass avocados - halved, pitted, and peeled
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
juice from one lime
For nachos
1 wheat tortilla
1/4 cup finely grated gruyere cheese
1 small white fish fillet (I used red snapper)
salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste
1/2 small tomato, seeded and finely chopped

Directions

Make coleslaw: in a large bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients. Add the shredded slaw mix and toss until combined. Set aside.
Make guacamole: in a medium bowl, mash the avocados, sour cream, jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season the guacamole with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make nachos: preheat the oven to 375°F. Using a small cookie cutter, cut 9 circles out of the wheat tortilla. Place tortilla rounds on a baking sheet and coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes until crisp.

Remove from the oven and top each round with a teaspoon of grated cheese. Change the oven setting to broil, and broil the chips until the cheese is melted.
Meanwhile, brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter and break apart into bite-sized flakes.

Spread a little of the guacamole on top of the cheesy chip. Top with a little fish, coleslaw, and the fresh tomatoes. Enjoy immediately with lime wedges for garnish.

Serves 1.

*This is enough coleslaw for 6-8 servings.

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Corn Pudding Nacho Bites

partysugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:15:13 -0700

Last Friday night I hosted an impromptu dinner party for some close friends. It was an informal introduction of my best friend's new boyfriend, so I went all out with appetizers and a special cocktail. Ever since I made nacho bites, I've wanted to experiment more with Tostitos Scoops, and I decided this was the perfect opportunity to do so.I filled each chip with a corn, cheese, and egg mixture that cooked up like a corn pudding. The final bite was salty, cheesy, and purely delicious. This is an incredibly easy recipe that can be modified to suit your dietary needs. To see how I made this version, read more.

Corn Pudding Nacho Bites
Modified from Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
24 scoop-shaped tortilla chips (recommended: Tostitos Scoops)
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped Spanish chorizo
1 heaping tablespoon jalapeño

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, egg, corn, green onions, chorizo, and jalapeño.

Arrange the chips on a large rimmed baking sheet and place 1 teaspoon corn mixture in each. Bake until the filling sets, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm.

Makes 2 dozen.

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Nacho Bites

partysugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:23:11 -0700

This week I had my banker over for dinner and I decided to wow him with a Tex-Mex-inspired meal. Naturally, nachos were on the menu. Since I wanted something a little healthier than chips and melted cheese for the main course, I served the nachos as appetizers. To make them bite sized, I used Tostitos scoops. Each chip bowl is filled with a classic ground beef taco mixture and topped with cheese. The mini edible bowls are broiled until the cheese is melted and the chips are crispy.

These nachos are incredibly scrumptious and this recipe is easily adaptable, so feel free to get creative! The scoops would be wonderfully delicious with grilled chicken or black beans. For more details on my variation, read more.

Nacho Bites
From PartySugar and Food Network

Ingredients

For Meat Filling
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded (if you like it hot include the seeds) and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
4 whole peeled canned tomatoes, chopped and about 1/4 cup of their juices
3/4 pound lean ground sirloin beef
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
For nachos
12 Tostitos Scoops
1/2-1 cup grated cheese (recommended a mixture of Gouda and extra sharp cheddar cheese)
Guacamole and Salsa, optional for serving

Directions

Make ground beef filling: put the oil, onions, garlic, and spices in a medium skillet, season with salt and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high, add the tomatoes, and their juices and boil to thicken, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the beef and chicken broth, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the beef is cooked through and the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired. Remove from heat.
Make the nachos: turn the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place 12 Tostitos scoops on the pan. Use only chips that are shaped like a bowl.
Fill each scoop with 1/2 teaspoon of the ground beef mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese to cover, taking care not to spill cheese all over the pan.

Broil for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully to ensure they don't burn, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and the chips are crisp and golden brown. Remove pan from oven.
Working quickly, top each scoop with a small dollop of guacamole and a drop of salsa, if desired.
Transfer to serving platter and enjoy!

Serves 3.

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Creamy Adobo Chip Nacho Bites

partysugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:16:47 -0700

This week I found an interesting recipe on MyRecipes.com and it inspired me to create these bite-sized, creamy nachos. The baked chipotle chips are topped with a creamy goat cheese mixture and a cilantro salsa. Avocados were finally ripe at my grocery store, so I was able to blitz up a quick, easy guacamole. These make for a playful presentation and would look lovely on a graduation party menu. To see how I made these incredibly scrumptious nachos - once you pop, you can't stop - read more.

Adobo Chips With Warm Goat Cheese and Cilantro Salsa
Modified from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Salsa:
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (about 1 bunch)
1 cup finely chopped tomatillos* (about 4 medium)
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Guacamole:
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
1/4-1/2 cup cilantro
1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
juice from one lime
salt
Chips:
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
8 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
Cheese:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

To prepare salsa, remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop to measure 2 teaspoons.
Remove 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can, and set aside (reserve remaining chipotle chiles and adobo sauce for another use). Combine chiles, cilantro, tomatillos, onion, and 1/4 cup lime juice in a medium bowl. Alternately, pop all of the ingredients for the salsa in a food processor and chop, pulsing until fine. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

In the uncleaned food processor bowl, combine the ingredients for the guacamole. Stir until a fine paste forms. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.
To prepare chips, combine 2 1/2 teaspoons lime juice, canola oil, adobo sauce, paprika, and cumin in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Brush 1 tortilla with about 1/4 teaspoon juice mixture, spreading to edge. Top with another tortilla; repeat procedure with juice mixture. Repeat procedure 6 more times (you will have 1 stack of 8 tortillas). Using a sharp knife, cut tortilla stack into 6 wedges. Alternately, use your favorite cookie-cutter shape to cut the tortillas into small shapes. I used a small scallop-edged circle.

Place wedges in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes; turn wedges. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
To prepare cheese, combine cream cheese and goat cheese in a small bowl; stir until blended. Spread cheese mixture into a shallow 6-ounce ramekin or baking dish; cover with foil.
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or just until warm.

To serve top each chip with some cheese, the guacamole, and the salsa. Or, serve deconstructed with the 4 components in separate bowls. Allow guests to pick and choose their chip topping.