Chicken-Chili Nachos with Spicy Cheddar Sauce

A homemade nachos platter is so much better than the one at your favorite bar. Salsa made with all fresh ingredients, creamy cheese sauce without a lot of fat, and lean ground chicken make this recipe not only flavorful and satisfying but lighter than most restaurant platters as well.

Serve it as party food or as a casual, “community” dinner for four.

Tip: You can make the nachos with leftover chili, but keep in mind that ground chicken or ground turkey have less fat than ground beef, which can make the chips soggy with oil.

For the easy, fresh salsa recipe, see Smoked Salmon and Black Bean Quesadillas with Guacamole and Fresh Salsa.

Serves 4 (as a main course)

Ingredients

For the Chicken-Chili Nachos

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground chicken (thigh or breast meat)
• 1-2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 small green bell pepper, chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 15-oz can chili beans, rinsed well (black beans or kidney beans work too)
• 1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• large nacho chips, enough to cover a platter, slightly piled
• 1 cup Fresh Salsa
• sour cream, for serving

For the Spicy Cheddar Sauce

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped
• 1 habanero chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp dried red chile flakes
• sea salt

Cheese Sauce Ingredients

Preparation

For the Chicken-Chili Nachos

1. Heat a pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground chicken, serrano chile(s), garlic, onion, and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the chicken, until the vegetables soften and the chicken is just cooked through, 6-7 minutes.

Chicken Mixture Beginning to Cook

1. Add the beans, tomato sauce, chile powder, and cumin and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook 15 minutes. (The chili should be thick.) Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired.

Chili Beginning to Cook

Cooked Chili

For the Spicy Cheddar Sauce

1. Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. (Don’t overdo the oil. It will cause the cheese to separate and become stringy. A little stringiness is okay.)
2. Add the jalapeno and habanero and season with salt. Cook until beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add the milk and warm 30 seconds. Gradually stir in the cheese and chile flakes. Stir constantly to melt and blend in the cheese. Remove from the heat.

Cheese Sauce

To Assemble and Serve

Spread nacho chips on a platter, piling slightly. Pour the cheese sauce over the chips and spoon the chili on top. Top with salsa and dollop with sour cream. Serve right away.

Chips on the Platter 

Cheese Sauce on Chips 

Chili Added 

Salsa Added