In my days of not caring what I ate, one of my favorite things to order when I was with a group of people was chicken nachos from Miller's Ale House. We would order one for the table and share it easily among 6-8 people. If I went with a small group, say 4 or less, I wouldn't order it because I knew it was too much food. Then I would be bummed out because I didn't have it. Ah, if only I knew then what I know now about my horrible food choices. Isn't that what everyone says?
With my discovery of Trader Joe's Roasted Plantain Chips, however, now I can have this awesome snack whenever I want (in moderation, of course!), and customize it to include all my favorite toppings. This is also a perfect snack ideas for gatherings. I served it up as an appetizer last weekend to hold our friends over until dinner a couple hours later. This recipe has two cooking stages: the chicken in the crockpot and then a few minutes under the broiler. However, if you bought a precooked rotisserie chicken and shred the chicken yourself, that would omit the first 6-7 hours. I think the crockpot is better though, because I was able to give my chicken a Southwest flavor, which is what the Ale House chicken tastes like to me.
Layered Chicken Nachos
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours + 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours + 20 minutes
Serves: 6
Special Tools:
Slow cooker
Baking trays
Parchment paper
Medium saute pan
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 can organic no salt added diced tomatoes
1 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of paprika
1 tbsp of cumin
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth or water
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 large green pepper, diced
6 cups of plantain chips (about one and a half bags)
1 and 1/2 cup of shredded goat milk gouda cheese
1/2 can of sliced black olives
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Trader Joe's Double Roasted Salsa
1 handful of chopped cilantro
Instructions:
1. Place the first 9 ingredients into a slow cooker and let it cook on low for about 6 hours.
2. Remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks. If the liquid absorbs immediately into the chicken, add a little more. You want the chicken moist, but not swimming in liquid. Otherwise the chips will get soggy. Turn the slow cooker to your keep warm setting, if there is one.
3. Place your sauté pan over medium high heat for a minute and then add the ghee and allow it to melt.
4. Add your chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté until they are soft, about 6-8 minutes.
5. Turn your oven to a Low Broil.
6. Lay a piece of parchment paper down on a baking tray.
7. Spread 2 cups of chips (about 1/2 of a bag) onto the parchment paper.
8. Spread about 1/3 of the shredded chicken and tomatoes over the top.
9. Then add about 1/3 of the onion and peppers on top.
10. Sprinkle that with 1/2 cup of cheese.
11. Broil for about 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the plantain chips begin to brown and the cheese is melted. *Watch carefully and do NOT leave the kitchen as broiling is the easiest and quickest way to burn your food!
12. Remove from the oven and onto a large plate or tray.
13. Top with black olives, avocado, salsa, and cilantro.
14. Repeat steps 6-13 two more times to use up all the ingredients.
I love chips. No seriously, LOVE everything about the idea of a chip. It's crunchy, salty, and is a great vessel in which to get something else in your mouth. I love all kinds of chips, even the unhealthy kind...sigh. I also really love salads. As a kid I would order salads regularly, even at breakfast. I don't know why, but when I was younger typical "breakfast" food didn't appeal to me. Probably because scrambled eggs and bacon can seem monotonous, so if we ended up at a buffet for breakfast (we were a big family, so this was the easiest way to satisfy everyone), I would take my plate and fill up on salads. I'm not sure if my mother was proud or worried. Ha!
This recipe came to fruition as a way to combine both my love of chips, as well as my love for salads. As someone who tries to spend the majority of my life cooking and eating foods that follow the paleo diet, obviously most chips are out of the question! Luckily, Trader Joe's carries the most delicious roasted plantain chips. The only ingredients are plantains, sunflower seed oil, and salt. Happy day! Since I try to stick to paleo/primal for most of my meals, this satisfies my need for chips in a BIG way!
The wonderful thing about this salad is that it really can include anything that appeals to you. I've put together a salad that makes my husband feel like he's eating a very filling meal, not just a dainty bed of lettuce and a few toppings.
Nacho Ordinary Grilled Steak Nachos
Prep Time: 25 minutes + 1 hr or more
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Time: 40-45 minutes
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients:
1 lb of flank steak, about 1/2-1 inch thick
1/2 cup of Mojo marinade
2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of grill seasoning
1 bag of Trader Joe's Roasted Plantain Chips
3-4 cups of shredded or chopped lettuce (I like butter, artisan, or romaine lettuce)
1 medium to large tomato, diced
1-2 tbsp fat of your choice (bacon fat, ghee, grass-fed butter)
1 medium to large sweet onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
4-6 oz portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 small can of black olives, sliced
1/2 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (if you're primal, omit if you're eating strict paleo)
1 cup of my homemade tasty guacamole
1 lime, divided into 4 quarters.
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Marinate the steak in the Mojo and Worcestershire for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. When it gets hot, add your fat and let it heat up for a minute or two.
3. Add your sliced onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Saute until desired tenderness, 10-15 minutes. I prefer a little longer until they are super tender.
4. Shred or chop your lettuce and dice your tomato. Drain the juice from the olive can.
5. Prepare the guacamole.
6. Start your grill and let it heat up to about 450 degrees. I close the lid to let it heat up, but then I leave it partly opened while the steak is cooking. A closed lid cooks the steak too much on my gas grill.
7. Remove your steak from the marinade bag, take 1/4 of the lime and squeeze it onto both sides of the steak, and then add the grill seasonings to both sides. You might need to press the seasoning into the steak.
8. Grill your steak, turning ONLY once, for about 5 minutes on each side. When you turn the steak the first time, squeeze another 1/4 of the lime. This will give you a medium rare steak. If you prefer yours a little more cooked through, add a minute to each side. Remove the steak from the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes. This allows the juices to return inside the steak.
9. Open the bag of plantain chips and divide them between two plates. Then top your chips with lettuce, tomato, your sauteed veggies, olives, cheese, and guacamole.
10. Slice your steak into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces and divide between the two salads. NOTE: If this is too much meat for you in one sitting, save the rest for steak and eggs in the morning!
11. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and dig in! You'll probably need a fork, but my fingers do most of the work.
