Nacho Average Nachos

These were such a fun way to vary taco night. We had different chips, different cheeses, and beans. I topped them with pickled onions and then we had salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and elote street corn.

Nacho Average Nachos
Ingredients: (for 4)

flavored tortilla chips (mine were some local ones at my grocery store El Nacho – Hot Honey, Mango, & Lime)
Refried black beans
1/4 cup white queso dip
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
pickled onions
salsa

Directions:
Warm the black beans and add a splash of water to make it spoonable.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
Spread a layer of chips and top with shredded cheeses, queso, spoonfuls of beans.

Put into the oven for just 2-3 minutes to melt.
Remove from the oven, and build another layer. Add it back to the oven to melt and crisp.
Repeat for another layer and top with salsa and extra cheese.

Add pickled onions and any toppings you choose!
Enjoy!

These were really good. 3 out of 4 of us ate them. We had street corn, some tiny quesadillas, and more chips so there was something for everyone – always the goal. Later I thought about a spicy ranch drizzle which would be fun! I’d also for for chopped tomatoes.

These chips are amazing. They were a touch sweet but not spicy to us. Sometimes we get the tortilla chips made in house at the grocery store. The layers getting a quick chance to melt is the key to good nachos so there aren’t all naked chips at the bottom!

Street Corn Pasta Salad

Street Corn becomes a whole new side and is so addicting. There’s sweet corn and salty cheese that wakes up with lime. I love elotes as a side but gave it a whole new personality.

This stores so well and is great later. Turn it into a full meal with a scoop of black beans or chicken on top. I added a mound of arugula and it was so nicely balanced.

Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients: (for ~4 side servings or 2-3 meals)

1-1 1/2 cups pasta (Ditalini or small elbows)
1 cup corn
1/4 cup cheese (feta or cotija)
3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder/chili lime/smoked paprika/cayenne

Directions:
Cook the pasta and the corn and allow to cool.
Mix up the mayo, lime juice, and chili seasoning.

Add the dressing to the corn, pasta, and the cheese reserving just a sprinkle for the top.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top with another sprinkle of chili powder. Refrigerate until serving.
Enjoy!

I love the combo here of sweet corn and salty cheese. Make it yours by increasing the lime, or spice, or corn, or dressing. The dressing could be half mayo and half Greek yogurt or half sour cream.

This keeps well for days or is great made the day before. This would be perfect alongside tacos and seems ideal to make freezer tamales or taquitos into a meal.

TacoBell Inspired Pizza

The tacobell pizza has a cult following and is fun and easy to make at home. It is kind of a stacked quesadilla so go for that name if it has better market-ability with your eaters.

Our youngest was my sous-chef and then proceeded to eat the whole thing. She sometimes has the appetite of a bird so that’s either a ringing endorsement, or it fell on a day full of activity and included ingredients we all like, in a format not all that different.

Tacobell Pizza
Ingredients (for 4 servings):

1/2 pound ground meat
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (half a packet)
8 flour tortillas
1/2 can refried beans
~1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup enchilada sauce
toppings: diced tomato, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, corn, red/green/pickled onions, olives, etc

Directions:
Cook, drain, and season the meat.
While the meat cooks, preheat the oven 
Warm the refried beans.
Spray 4 of the tortillas with non-stick spray and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for ~3 minutes until warmed through and getting toasted.
Take those 4 warmed tortillas out of the oven spread with the beans and top with ground meat.

Layer the next tortillas on top (optional: can be warming in the oven while the beans & meat go onto the first 4 tortillas.)
Spoon enchilada sauce on top of each stack and sprinkle on the cheese.
Return to the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Add any toppings to each! (Mine was diced tomato and green chili sauce and I forgot we had pickled onions! The others did combinations of black olives, sour cream, and salsa on the side to dip)

Slice and enjoy!

These were very fun and just added a slight twist to taco night. They work OK on a skillet/griddle but getting that top cheese to melt needs heat from above or domed with a cover!

Mexican Chicken Salad

This is the perfect use of leftovers from taco night. I mixed up shredded chicken with part mayo and part avocado before adding corn and black beans. Customize it with any add ins from the leftovers!

It is great scooped up with chips or on a roll! It even keeps pretty well.

Mexican Chicken Salad
Ingredients: (for 2 servings)

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
1 small avocado
2 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup black beans

Directions:
Mix together the chicken, avocado, mayo, and taco seasoning. Gently mix in the corn and black beans.

Serve with tortilla chips or on a bun. Top with pickled onions or jalapeños or cilantro or tomatoes and spice it up as you like.

This was so good. I refrigerated a portion to see how it was the next day – survey says: yup! It was good! I squeezed some lime to wake it up and loosen it up. The avocado isn’t the same green the next day, but the whole thing didn’t look as sad as old guac.

Breakfast Crunchwrap

This is such a fun breakfast and the format is the nudge to Taco Bell’s version. The filling is bacon, eggs, cheese, and nacho chips!

The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Crunchwrap

Fill with beans, or sausage, or avocado, or whatever fillings you like!

Breakfast Crunchwrap
Ingredients: (for 2)

2 burrito sized flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese (white cheddar and mild cheddar)
2 eggs (scrambled eggs & everything bagel seasoning)
2 tablespoons salsa
4 strips of bacon crumbled
~8 nacho flavored chips

Directions:
Scramble the eggs until cooked through, but not dried out. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning, if desired.

The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Crunchwrap

Assemble the crunchwrap with the tortilla, cheese, eggs, bacon, a spoonful of salsa & hot sauce, chips, and extra cheese. Leave plenty of space around the outside.

The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Crunchwrap

Warm a pan to medium heat with a drizzle of oil.
Carefully fold the outside edges inward, working your folds around hanging onto the beginning. Gently put the crunchwrap face down and let crisp for ~2-3 minutes. Then flip to cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Crunchwrap

Enjoy! Serve with extra salsa on the side.

The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Crunchwrap

I loved this! The chips in this are such a pop of flavor and great texture.

If the folding around feels daunting, these could definitely be formed like a burrito. They won’t freeze well with the chips, but I’ll make them again.