Food Waste Free Recipes

Creamy Cheese Nachos with Pickled Peppers and Onions

  • Appetizer
  • Cooking Time: 45 minutes
  • Preparation Time: 20 minutes
  • Serves: 4
  • Difficulty: Medium
Recipe provided by Joel Gamoran (@joelgamoran)

Don’t let those extra corn tortillas from your weekly taco night go to waste. Make nachos! I like to repurpose mine in the form of crispy baked chips sprinkled with Morton® Coarse Himalayan Pink Salt, it gives me the perfect pop of flavor with every bite. I garnish my nachos with my homemade creamy cheese sauce and some pickled onions and peppers. Finished off with avocados and crema, these nachos will soon be a staple in your kitchen too!

Ingredients

  • 10 corn tortillas
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral flavored oil
  • 2 teaspoons Morton® Coarse Himalayan Pink Salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 3 ounces white sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 3 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded

MORTON®
COARSE HIMALAYAN PINK SALT

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. To prepare the tortillas, stack them on top of each other and cut them into six equal triangular pieces, the way you would cut a pizza.

  3. Add the tortillas to a large bowl, drizzle the oil over, and gently toss them so that each piece is coated.

  4. Turn the tortillas out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them evenly so that they are in one layer. Sprinkle evenly with Morton® Coarse Himalayan Pink Salt, so that every chip will have the perfect amount of flavor with each bite.

  5. Place the sheet tray in the oven to cook for 20 minutes, turning the tortillas half way through.

  6. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce. To a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and allow it to melt.

  7. Whisk in the flour to make a roux and allow the flour to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds so it doesn’t burn.

  8. When the roux has turned a light golden brown color, slowly stream in the milk, whisking the whole time as you pour. Use a rubber spatula to make sure to get all of the roux on the sides of the pot incorporated. The sauce should begin to thicken after it starts to come to a low boil.

  9. When the chips are done, remove them from the oven and assemble half of them on a plate.

  10. Begin the nacho assembly by first pouring some of the cheese sauce over the chips. Add the remaining chips on top and then pour on some more of the cheese sauce.

  11. Finish assembling by evenly sprinkling the pickled onions and peppers, avocados, salsa and finally the crema. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Optional Toppings

  • Pickled peppers and onions, (recipe below)
  • Diced avocados
  • Crema or sour cream
  • Salsa, store bought or homemade

Pickled Peppers and Onions

Ingredients:

  •  ½ cup distilled white vinegar
  •  ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Morton® Coarse Kosher Salt
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced into thin rounds

Instructions:

  1. Add the vinegar, water, sugar and Morton® Fine Kosher Salt and bring to a boil in a small pot over medium heat.
  2. To a wide-mouthed jar, add the red onion and jalapenos. At this point, any other vegetable you would like to pickle can also be added to the jar.
  3. When the vinegar water has reached a boil, carefully pour it on top of the vegetables in the jar.
    Allow the liquid to cool and then seal with a lid. Use or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Food Waste Tips:

  • The leftover tortillas sitting in your pantry can be repurposed in many different ways. This recipe calls for turning them into chips for nachos, but they can be saved to make other dishes as well such as chilaquiles or chicken tortilla soup!
  • Cucumbers aren’t the only vegetable that can be transformed into a pickle. A quick pickling brine can turn those peppers you forgot about in your refrigerator into a delicious condiment! Try this pickling technique with other vegetables you have such as onions, carrots, and even cauliflower!