Beef Nachos

I struggle with party food.  When I decide to host a party, the first thing I do is plan the menu.   Before the guest list, the decorations or I even nail down the time and place - I make an itemized grocery list for the food that I plan to serve.😂  But as the party get nearer, I start second guessing my food choices and I worry that I've chosen foods that people won't like or even worse, something that they might be allergic to.🫤 I'm the queen of getting in my head about this and then overcompensating by serving waaaay too much food.   

I've hosted a LOT of parties and I've stressed over the menu for every single one of them.  It's only been recently that I've discovered the joy of nacho parties and now I'm wondering why it took me so long to figure that out.

Serving a dish like Beef Nachos at a party is genius menu planning.  Take it from me.😂 Guests can make their nachos vegan, spicy, loaded or simple.  I love the fact that self serve nacho bars are completely customizable.   My guests can choose to add their own toppings or even swap out the chips with lettuce for a healthier option.  And for my friends who insist on bringing something to the party - I respond to thier request with "bring your favorite nacho topping".  

Beef Nachos
Spiced Ground Beef
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 pounds ground beef (90% lean)
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup tomato paste

Cheese Sauce
3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
6 Tablespoons shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups + 2/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons sodium citrate

Toppings
Jalapeños
Refried Beans
Limes
Crema
Guacamole
Salsa
Tortilla Chips
​Cilantro

Place ground beef in bowl.  Combine water and baking soda.  

Sprinkle water mixture over beef and mix to combine. 

Heat oil in skillet.  Add onion and cook until softened.  

Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and salt. 

Stir in tomato paste.  

Add beef and cook until cooked through.

Whisk together 2 cups water and sodium citrate in saucepan for cheese sauce. 

Bring to simmer.  Add cheese, 1/2 cup at a time.  

Reduce heat to low and whisk in 2/3 cup water.  Cook 2 minutes.  

Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender for 2 minutes. 

This recipe is from one of my favorite resources: Cooks Illustrated.  

Ciao!

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