Chicken Nachos

When I was a kid, we used to go to a little restaurant right outside the beltway off of Braddock Road called Kilroy's. Invariably, I would order the Nachos. Melted cheese over salty chips that you could dip in sour cream and guacamole.  Is there anything better? Fast forward thirty years and we have passed on this love of Nachos to our children. There are certain foods that just bring the family together, and a pan of nachos coming out of the oven will fix most family disagreements. Angry siblings will suddenly be best friends so they can get a shot at the chips with the most melty cheese. Maybe someone should make these at the US Capital. "You guys can have some chips if you can get along!"  Problem solved. 
Ingredients
  • Tortilla Chips (1 bag) ​
  • 5-8 cups of Mexican blend shredded cheese
  • 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions
  • 3/4 cup pecorino Romano cheese (if so desired)
  • No cilantro, no cilantro ever.
  • Guacamole
  • Sour Cream

Chicken and Sauce
  • 3 cups shredded Rotisserie Chicken (about 1 Costco rotisserie chicken)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic (or a bit less)
  • 1 Tbsp minced chipotle pears in adobo sauce
  • 1 can of tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • No cilantro, don't even think about it.
​
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and lay out two cookie sheets. 
  2. Cover them with Chips. Try just to use the big chips. The crumbled dusty chips at the bottom of the bag are not fit for human consumption.
  3. Next, focus your attention on the chicken and the sauce.
  4. Cut up your Costco rotisserie chicken and shred it. Eat one of the drumsticks, because you can. The other drumstick was already eaten in the car on the way home, so that's why its not there.
  5. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onion and garlic. Stir it around, but try not to spill it out of the pan. Don't brown it, just until the onion is translucent. 
  6. Add the tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, sugar, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer until it's thickened. Once thickened, add in the shredded chicken and stir it all together.
  7. Take the chicken and spread it over the chips. 
  8. Take the cheese and spread it over the chips.
  9. Spread some more cheese over the chips.
  10. Take the pans and put them in the oven for about six minutes, until the cheese is nice and melty. 
  11. Remove the pans, put the scallions on top. Add the sour cream and guacamole if you want, or keep them off to the side for everyone to decide how much they get.
  12. Enjoy the sound of crunchy reconciliation. 

The Lord's chips

Picture



Monk:
What is this?
Nacho:
Leftovers. Enjoy.
Monk:
There is no flavor. There are no spices. Where are the chips?
Nacho:
Somebody stole them.
Monk:
Did you not tell them that they were the Lord's chips?
Nacho:
I was trying to!
Monk:
You are useless Ignacio!
Elderly Monk:
Silence brothers! This is the worst lunch I ever had.
Monk:
Your only job is to cook. Do you not realize I have had diarrhea since Easters?