Countdown to the Super Bowl-Chorizo Nachos

I was watching the news last night, and I felt a sudden rush of panic when the anchor said "Anddd we are officially in Super Bowl week!". It's not because my team is playing this Sunday or anything since Mark Sanchez decided to become the most disappointing player in the NFL (sigh, but don't worry, I still love you Mark). It's also not due to a lack of menu planning on my part, since I already tested out recipes and decided on what I would be making. It's because last Friday somewhere between rushing out of work and going to meet my friends I dropped my phone, and after spending $85 on a new screen, I've lost everything that I once had on it. You should have seen the sheer horror on my face when I found out that my icloud was updating anything but my photos, and the last time I backed up to my computer was on November 30th. Therefore, my nachos post planned for this week now consists of a single instagram picture, rather than the step-by-step photos I had taken for you guys. I'm sure you won't run into any trouble anyway, since it really is not complicated at all, and more importantly it really does not matter how you layer nachos. The beauty of nachos is everyone makes them differently as there are no rules. They always look like a purposeful mess, in a there is a method to my madness kind of way. You can swap the ground chorizo for ground beef or chicken. Since there is a lot going on in this dish, I wanted to use something with lots of flavor. The spicy chorizo really stands out and doesn't get lost in the dish. And my favorite part of course is the cheese sauce. It tastes just like (actually better) than the kind you get at the football stadium. Oh, and it's made from real cheese and real ingredients rather than the artificially flavored highly-processed stuff you can't even pronounce.

Chorizo Nachos

1st layer: Your favorite tortilla chips

I get these fried tortillas from my local Mexican store that have not been cut into individual chips. They don't get soggy like the small ones do, and you can break them apart into bigger pieces. But you can use any type of tortilla chips you like!

2nd layer: Ground chorizo

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 links of Mexican chorizo (not Spanish chorizo-which is smoked, and can only be sliced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Remove the chorizo links from their casings, and add to the pan. Start breaking them apart with a wooden spoon, as you add the salt. Keep stirring, and breaking them apart, until they resemble ground meat and are cooked through. Add the garlic, cumin, cayenne, paprika, and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove from heat.

3rd layer: Cheese sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk (room temperature)

1/4 cup Mexican beer (I used Modelo Especial)

1-1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese
1-1.5 cups grated Monterey Jack
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the milk and beer, and cook until it is thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the cheeses slowly, until you reach the desired consistency. Add the salt, and cook until the cheese is melted.

4th layer: Guacamole

Ingredients:

4 avocados, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2  jalapeño, diced very finely
1/2 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon lime juice (half a lime)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mash with a fork until you reach the desired consistency. I like to keep the guacamole chunky.

5th layer: Pico de gallo

Ingredients:

3 roma or plum tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 jalapeño, diced very finely

1 tablespoon lime juice (half a lime)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

6th layer: Queso Fresco

Queso Fresco is a mild white cheese. You can substitue feta cheese if you can't find it. Crumble it on top.

7th layer: Crema Mexicana

You can substitue sour cream if you like. Mexican crema has a runnier consistency which I love; it makes it really easy to dollop onto dishes. It's also a little sweeter.