Dennis Prescott

If there is a better ‘eat with your hands’, made to share food than nachos, I don’t know what it is.

Growing up, my brother and I ate a lot of nachos. A lot. They competed head to head with ice cream as our after-school, after-sports, and late evening food drug of choice. Comforting at any time of the day. Our nacho love began as equal parts chips and cheese, and then grew to everything and anything we could find in the fridge.

When I was a travelling wilbury, I ate nachos in Toronto, New York, London, LA and just about every other town in the great North American countryside. And this is what I know:

Everyone loves nachos.

Everyone loves shareable food.

Nachos taste delicious almost everywhere you eat them.

You can also recreate nachos at home. (and they’ll usually taste better that way)

Now that I’ve grown, and most importantly, now that my metabolism has slowed, daily nachos are not a great choice (I miss you, after-school nacho parties). But the nice thing about comfort food as an adult, is you get to take the time to make the dish right, and you really appreciate the comforting goodness that comes when you wait for it. Pub grub at home.

Beef nachos are delicious. But if beef isn’t your jam, you can easily sub it out for chicken in this recipe. Equally delicious.

Happy snacking friends.

Steak Fajita Nachos

Serves 2 (just double, triple etc to serve a crowd)

1lb steak (I use flank)

1 red onion, sliced into thin half-moons

1 green pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lime

4 cups tortilla chips

1/2 cup pickled jalapeños

1/4 cup cilantro, sliced

2 cups old cheddar, grated

Salsa & Sour Cream, for serving

Heat a griddle pan over medium high. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Slice your steak into very thin strips (the thinner, the crispier). Toss the steak pieces in your olive oil and chili powder. Season with sea salt. Add your steak to the hot pan, and grill for 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes longer. Squeeze over the juice of 1/2 a lime, and remove.

Add your onions and peppers to the pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning half way through. Squeeze over the second half of lime juice, and set aside with your beef.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and lay out your chips. Cover the chips with your grated cheese, and top with the beef, grilled veggies, and jalapeños. Bake for 6 – 8 minutes, until the cheese is nice and melted.

Top with the sliced cilantro, and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Quick, easy, delicious.