During competition season... cheerleading is a way of life. Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Cheer. So, on top of having a 5 week old baby... our time is also consumed with cheer practices nearly every night. Yet another reason to simplify meal time!
Friday night is usually cheer-free, and it's usually designated for family time. You can usually find us eating around the coffee table in the living room, watching a movie or playing games. So, "serve yourself" or "family platter" meals are usually the norm. We've done fondue, hummus platters, build your own tacos... but, one of our favorites is BBQ chicken nachos! Just in time for your Super Bowl party! (It's also a wonderfully sneaky way to slip your kids some veggies.)
Look at all that melty, cheesy, chocked-full-of-veggies goodness! You can't even see the chips. Hint: you might want a fork to dig into this deliciousness. This recipe was born out of a craving for a discontinued menu item at Smokey Bones. When I was pregnant with my eldest son, it was a dish that satiated many a pregnancy craving. Then... they discontinued it. And, I thought, "BBQ chicken nachos? Simple enough. I can just do this myself!" And, so I have. For years now.
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can toss all of the BBQ chicken fixin's in the crockpot in the morning, let it cook all day, shred the chicken when you're ready for dinner, assemble your nachos, and pop them in the oven in record time. Very simple. Much yum!
BBQ Chicken Nachos
For the chicken:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 C of your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 C Italian dressing
1/4 C brown sugar
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
For nachos:
1 bag tortilla chips
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, large dice
1 can sliced black olives, drained
Pickled jalapeños (optional)
Salsa & sour cream for serving
Lightly season chicken breasts with salt & pepper, place in crockpot. In a mixing bowl, combine BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce; whisk until well-mixed. Pour over chicken, cover, and cook in crockpot on high for 3-4 hours. Using two forks, shred chicken while still in crockpot so that it mixes with all of the sauce.
Preheat oven to 350*. Begin to assemble nachos... start with covering a baking sheet in aluminum foil. Spread tortilla chips in an even layer across the baking sheet. Top with shredded chicken. I like quite a bit of chicken. You want some of it's sweetness in every crunch nacho bite. My serving looks like this...
There will be plenty of chicken left-over. Not to worry... it makes great Sloppy Chicks (like Sloppy Joe's but with chicken). So, be sure you have some of your favorite sandwich buns on-hand!
On with the nachos... sprinkle the black beans over the chicken layer. Top beans and chicken with shredded cheese. Then, sprinkle with green onions, tomatoes, and black olives. Using a fork to retrieve them from the jar, place your jalapeños on top of the nachos. Use as few or as many as you like. We usually just put them on half of the nachos because the kids don't like them. So, they have their half spice-free while the adults can enjoy the heat.
Put the nachos in the oven, and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa!
This really is a simple, delicious, and fun recipe. The kids always look forward to nacho night around here!
Now, if you'll excuse me... I have to get these two little guys down for a nap so I can get to crafting. I have a fun project involving a papier mache deer's head, Modge Podge, fabric, and LOTS of glitter to share later this week. Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment