Crispy Cheesy Loaded Nachos, with all your favorite toppings, are perfect for a quick meal or party appetizer!

You have to love Nacho’s. They can be an appetizer or a “main course.”  They’re the laid-back cousin of the “Taco” family.

You have to respect Nacho’s…they’re basically a taco that just gave up! I can hear them now… “Hey guys… I say we stop trying to hold all this stuff inside, and just lay down, and let it run all over the place!”

In all seriousness, one of my favorite quick meals, and a family favorite, are these Loaded Nachos. Psst…sometimes I even make them for Sunday dinner! Not sure how all our Pot Roast loving Grandma’s would feel about that?

How to Make Loaded Nachos

Before you even start on the nachos… I made a bowl of Pico de Gallo. The ingredients are simple. Freshly chopped tomatoes, I like roma tomatoes with the seeds removed, finely chopped red onion, coarsely chopped cilantro, salt, pepper, and the juice of one lime. Mix and keep cold till ready to serve.

That my friend is Pico de Gallo! Isn’t it spectacular?!!!

Meat for Nachos

I use leftover pork, shredded chicken, left over roast beef, or browned hamburger meat. The day I made this batch of nachos, it was after church and everyone was sure they were about to perish from starvation.

In an attempt to maintain human survival…(insert eye roll)…I use the next best thing. I go to my food storage and pull out a couple of cans of shredded beef from Costco. I’ve talked about their canned shredded beef before…let me just say it again…it’s GOOD!!! It’s excellent!

I drain and rinse the meat, then toss it into a small hot skillet…add 1/4 cup of water and 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning and cook until heated through.

Another option, and one we L.O.V.E. is to use rotisserie chicken. I place the shredded cooked chicken in my instant pot with one small can of Green Enchilada sauce. Select the “meat” setting and reduce the cook time to 30 minutes, even if the meat is frozen. Add 1 teaspoon of cummin and then quickly release after cooking. The perfect meat for these nachos!

Let’s Talk Beans!

You can use refried beans, black beans, or even whole canned pinto beans. I like to use canned Chili Beans with sauce.

Tip: Using a can of “chili beans” rather than “refried beans” adds lots of extra flavor.

Assembling the Nachos

Line a large baking sheet with your favorite corn tortilla chips. I suggest finding a chip that is a little thicker and can handle all the weight lifting it will be doing. Ya don’t want to get that chip halfway to your mouth only to have it snap in half and bounce off your chest and into your lap! Eweeeeee! Ain’t nobody got time for that mess!!!

I like lots of layers of cheese on my Nachos. So I break up slices of Monterey Pepper Jack and heaping handfuls of shredded cheddar. Next, add the beans and meat.

Time for another layer of cheese. This time I LOAD it up with lots of grated medium cheddar cheese. It’s all about the cheese friends. Nothing worse than Naked Nachos!!!

Baking Instructions

Pop them into a 380° preheated oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly. Generally about 10–15 minutes.

Topping Nachos

That’s what I’m talking about! These are not your ordinary run-of-the-mill Nachos! These are for serious cheese-loving nachos! Notice how the tips of the beef crisp up as well? That’s just a whole lotta yum going on my friends!

Now it’s time to “load ’em up”!

I like to make a “Nacho Bar”. This way, everyone can have the toppings that they want. Ya don’t have to listen to any complaining! (Lawdy we don’t want any complaining about the Nachos!)

Bowls of sour cream, salsa, olive, my fresh Guacamole, and let’s not forget about that delicious Pico de Gallo! Whatever your favorite Nacho toppings are, be sure to add them to the serving bar.

Time to do your thing!

I love to load mine up! A little of everything with a big dollop of sour cream, and that creamy yummy guacamole right in the center for dipping! There’s a method to my nacho-eating friends! Each bite needs to be perfection and you feel equally loved.

That’s all there is to it.  My version of “Loaded Nachos”.  A quick, easy meal and one that everyone at your Nest will love! It’s perfect for playoff parties, birthday parties, or family gatherings. You just can’t go wrong when you take a crispy crunchy chip and load it up with all the “good stuff”!

Favorite Family Mexican Recipes

• Mexican Ground Beef Lasagna
• Slow Cooker Cuban Pork and Rice
• Instant Pot Easy Pork Chili Verde
• Amazing Fish Tacos with Sauce
• Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
• Spanish Mexican Rice from the Fresh Cooky

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Happy Munching and Crunching!