I don’t often think of making nachos, because I usually eat them at pubs where (despite digging in with heart) they are laden with toppings and very heavy. A few weeks ago, my cousin put out homemade nachos on the cottage deck as an afternoon snack and I realized how much everyone enjoyed them. Inspired, I came up with a simple recipe that is not too heavy, and fairly easy to make (there’s a little extra effort required — and I mean “a little”). I decided to use flavourful aged cheddar, sweet summer tomatoes (roasted for more intense and smoky flavours) and, for added crunch, some crisp green pepper.
RECIPE: Nachos with Roasted Summer Tomatoes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 bag of your favourite tortilla chips
200g aged cheddar, grated
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
Preheat your oven to 425°F. You need about 2 pints of tomatoes; you can use your own garden tomatoes or anything from the market or grocery store. Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Make sure everything in well-coated. Don’t forget: mixing is a fun “kid” job.
Line a cookie tray with parchment paper (to avoid messy cleanup) and spread out the tomatoes. Put them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until they’ve shrivelled up on the tray. They can be a little brown and caramelized on the exterior — it just adds to the flavour. Set aside the tomato tray, and keep the oven on.
Pour your tortilla chips onto another parchment-lined tray.
Sprinkle the tortilla chips with approx. 200g of grated aged cheddar. (Another fun “kiddie” job. See how much joy can result from putting the kids to work?) You may be a cheese-indulgent family, so feel free to add more cheese if you think I’m being chintzy. Sprinkle with diced green pepper and put into the oven until the cheese melts (4-5 minutes).
Once the nachos come out, spoon the roasted, room-temperature tomatoes all over and serve. Don’t forget some sour cream on the side for dipping.
Now? Forget about making dinner — who’s going to be hungry?
RECIPE: Nachos with Roasted Summer Tomatoes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 bag of your favourite tortilla chips
200g aged cheddar, grated
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Put the washed and dried cherry tomatoes in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper until well-coated. Season to your own taste.
3. Put the tomatoes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and into the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and starting to wrinkle. They will caramelize a little on the exterior. Set aside. Leave the oven on.
4. Fill another parchment-lined cookie sheet with tortilla chips. Sprinkle them with the grated cheddar and the then the diced green pepper. Put into the oven until the cheese has melted (4-5 minutes).
5. Spoon the warm tomatoes over the nachos and serve with sour cream.
Sue Riedl is a Toronto-based food writer with a passion for cheese who writes a column called The Spread for The Globe and Mail. She loves to push stinky cheese on her 3-year-old.
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by Sue Riedl