As you can see from my recent posts, I'm thinking about Super Bowl parties.

This first recipe came from a cookbook out of Bloomsburg PA. I figure those folks don't know as much about nachos as us westerners. They call this Nacho Platter, and I would call it a hot Mexican dip. Hot as in out of the oven, not spicy so much. You know how refried beans come out of the can looking like dog food? You might want to stire them int

Baked Nacho Platter
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can refried beans
4 oz chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cup Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup taco sauce (or salsa)
Sliced black olives
Sour cream
Guacamole

Season the beef with chili powder and cumin. Grease 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Add layers of refried beans, beef, chilies, then cheese, onion, and taco sauce. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with black olives, sour cream and guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips.

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I make lower fat tortilla chips by cutting corn tortillas into 1/8s and baking them. I don't even bother painting them with oil first. I've also made them in the microwave, but you have to be careful to keep them stirred up or spots will burn.

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This next one is better for you in terms of it's got more vegetables. I'm not sure about 30 ounces of cheddar cheese soup, I might hold off on opening all three cans until I decided they are really necessary, not being much of a cheddar cheese soup fan.

Vegetable Nacho Platter

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 3/8 inch diced red pepper
1 3/8 inch diced green pepper
2 3/8 inch diced onions
1 cup broccoli tops
3 10-ounce cans cheddar cheese soup
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, or to taste
1 cup shredded Jack cheese
Tabasco sauce to taste
Nacho chips

Mix olive oil and garlic. Toss with the peppers and onion. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Blanch the broccoli for 5 minutes, drain and set aside. On low heat, simmer the cheese soup and milk for 10 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables and broccoli tops, jalapeno, and cheese. Heat for 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with dashes of Tabasco sauce. Spoon warm over nacho chips.

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Here's how I make nachos just for us. If there was company I might feel that it needed more ingredients like meat, refried beans, sliced black olives, sour cream, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole, etc. But sometimes less is more.

Family Nachos

Spread tortilla chips on a large baking sheet. Dot them with diced green chilies, the mild kind. Strew grated cheese, either cheddar or Jack, over all. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted. Serve with chunky salsa.

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Have you ever wondered what makes tortilla chips earn the label 'restaurant style?' I've decided it is the triangular ones as opposed to the round ones.