RECIPE - Gluten Free Nachos Deluxe

Adding the "e" at the end of "Deluxe" makes it sound more spectacular. Like adding an "e" to "Shoppe".

I never really make nachos unless there's a party or some other festivity. It's impossible to make a small batch of them. But thankfully, the Superbowl this past weekend was the perfect opportunity!

I love the challenge of making something so easy and so well known. Have you ever watched those cooking challenge shows like Top Chef? They always have one challenge where the contestants have to cook a very simple dish perfectly. On Top Chef they once challenged the chefs to cook an egg. Easy, right? You'd think, but there are a million and one different ways to cook eggs. Even if you look at just scrambled eggs, some folks add milk, some add water, some add butter, some add flour (??), some whisk a lot, some whisk a little (when I'm lazy I don't break them up until they're already IN the pan!). The variations are endless.

Well, the same is true for nachos. If you were looking last weekend for Superbowl recipes, I bet you saw tons of different nacho recipes, all trying to be unique and different. But there's really no need when you have a tried and true recipe and a great technique.

Here are my secrets for the perfect nachos:
1. Topping to Chip Ratio - One of my pet peeves is nachos where half the chips have no cheese. It should be illegal. Every chip should contain at least 1, preferably 2, toppings.
2. Great Guac - I'm from Southern California. If I made bad guac there'd be a pack of foodie gangsters at my door poised to take my accent back. Don't buy that premade crap from the grocery store.
3. Cheese Please - To achieve perfect topping to chip ratio, you'll need more cheese than you think. Don't skimp.

Ingredients:
Lots of tortilla chips (make sure they're gluten free! We used a combo of Trader Joe's and Mission)
Combo of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses (we used Cabbott for both)
Chili (we used Amy's Medium Southwestern chili; it's vegan but we decided to add a little ground turkey)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Perfect Guacamole (see recipe below)

Directions:
Spread the tortilla chips on a cookie sheet. The thinner the layer, the better. It'll help your topping to chip ratio.

Spoon hot chili over the chips. Then, top with shredded cheeses. Bake or broil for just a few minutes, until all the cheese melts. Create 3 lumps of guac, salsa, and sour cream on top. Enjoy!

Guacamole Recipe:
2 ripe avocados, halved and largely diced
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, very finely diced
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper

Put the tomatoes and the onion in the bowl first. Then, scoop out the avocado (you should dice the avocado in it's skin, then when you scoop it out it will break into cubes). Then, add the lime juice. Stir together, then add salt and pepper. Stir again and taste for seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic wrap down so it touches the guac. Refrigerate for about an hour, and then let warm to room temperature before serving.

And there you have it! I dare you to find a better, more perfectly simple recipe for nachos.