Nachos

Ingredients

• 10½ oztortilla chipscorn chips as the base; alternatively homemade from corn masa
• 12⅓ ozcheeseshredded; cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mexican blend or mozzarella
• 14⅛ ozground beefbrowned; turkey or chicken also work
• 8⅛ ozblack beanscooked, drained; red kidney beans also used
• 8⅛ ozcorncooked or canned, drained
• 1 tbsptomato pastefor the meat; some use tomato sauce instead
• 1 tbspolive oilfor frying
• 1 tbspchili powderor taco seasoning, for the meat
• ½ tspcuminground
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1 tspgarlicor fresh cloves
• ½ tspOreganodried
• 2chipotles in adobofor heat in the meat or beans (optional)
• 2tomatoesfinely diced, for pico de gallo
• 1onionfinely diced, red onion or spring onion work well
• 1jalapeñofinely chopped or pickled slices
• 1avocadodiced or mashed
• 1limejuice for pico de gallo and avocado
• 1 bunchcilantrofresh, chopped
• 5¼ ozsour creamor crème fraîche or Mexican crema, for topping
• saltto taste
• black pepperground
• 2 lbBell pepperhalved, seeded, as a substitute for chips (optional)

Method

1. Prep the oven and trayPreheat the oven to 180–390 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Brown the ground beefHeat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, add the ground beef and brown it hard, breaking it up as you go until it's crumbly and well colored.
3. Cook in the spicesStir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and oregano and let everything cook together for a few minutes. If you like more heat, finely chop the chipotles in adobo now and stir them in.
4. Add beans and cornFold in the black beans and the corn, warm everything through briefly, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Make the pico de galloFor the pico de gallo, finely dice the tomatoes, the onion and part of the jalapeño, chop some of the cilantro and toss it all with lime juice and salt. Let it sit and come together while you carry on.
6. Prepare the avocadoDice the avocado, or mash it with a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt.
7. Layer the nachosSpread the tortilla chips over the baking sheet in a single, tightly packed layer, then scatter the beef and bean mixture and the shredded cheese on top. If you like, build a second layer of chips, mixture and cheese over the first.
8. Bake until meltedSlide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the nachos for about 3 to 7 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
9. Top and serve right awayTop the hot nachos with the pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream, the rest of the cilantro and the remaining jalapeño, and get them to the table right away while the chips are still crunchy.

Tips and variations

If you have the time, make your own chips: roll out corn masa dough and cook it in a skillet until golden. Nachos are also great kept simple, baked with just cheese, tomato, onion and jalapeño. Turkey or chicken can stand in for the beef, and if you're in the mood, deglaze the meat with a splash of red wine and swap in red kidney beans. For a meat-free version, blend the beans with onion, garlic and chipotle and serve them with a salsa verde made from roasted tomatillos and avocado. To skip the chips altogether, fill halved, seeded mini bell peppers with the beef and bean mixture and cheese and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes. Serving tip: put the baking sheet straight on the table with extra little bowls of sour cream and pico de gallo alongside so everyone can top up as they go.