I love nachos. I’m genuinely passionate about them.
When I had my own place I often made large batches of nachos topped with guacamole, melted cheese, sour cream and salsa. I also have a serious fondness for dips — salsa, hummus and guacamole are my weaknesses. If I could combine them all, I would. Instead, I usually include at least two of my favorite dips on a plate of nachos. So when I found a recipe for making homemade tortilla chips, guacamole and salsa, I had to try it.
I started by cutting small tortillas into large triangles with a pizza cutter. I arranged them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper so they wouldn’t stick, then drizzled them generously with olive oil and sprinkled on seasoning. You can use any spices you like — chili flakes, cumin, or a mixed seasoning blend work well. I used chili flakes and a pre-mixed seasoning I found in the cupboard. Make sure each chip is evenly coated with oil and seasoning so they crisp up nicely.
Bake the tortilla chips in a hot oven at 200°C (about 400°F) for 5–7 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and crispy. Remove them from the oven and let them cool so they firm up.
To make the guacamole, I mashed a ripe avocado and stirred in chopped red chili for a simple, fresh flavor. A squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt would also be great additions if you have them on hand.
For the salsa, I chopped several tomatoes and a clove of garlic, placed them in a roasting tin with a little oil, and roasted them in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. After roasting, I blended half the tomatoes with all the roasted garlic until smooth, then roughly chopped the remaining tomatoes and mixed them in. The result was slightly runny for my taste; next time I would probably skip the blender and simply roughly chop all the tomatoes for a chunkier salsa.
I topped the cooled tortilla chips with crumbled cooked beef and a generous sprinkling of grated cheese, then returned the tray to the oven until the cheese melted and the beef was heated through. When it came out, I added dollops of guacamole, spoonfuls of salsa and a few spoons of sour cream, arranging everything so each bite would have a bit of everything.
Absolute perfection.