Post-Barbecue Nachos

Leftovers from your summer cookout make delicious toppings

Are you grilling this weekend? I’m betting that the answer, for a lot of you, is a big YES. Even here in Oakland, where we’re having the coldest summer since 1970 (brrr!), we’ve been using our grill whenever we can; it just feels more like summer when we’re in the backyard, eating at the picnic table and enjoying the last of the day’s sun.

I’ve also been playing with lots of ways of using up the leftovers from cookouts. I’ve made lots of tacos, bbq sandwiches, and fun, flavorful salads. But one of my favorite ways to use up the nicely browned and slightly charred foods from the grill is to chop them up and use them in nachos. It’s especially useful when you have just a little bit of food left over (maybe on day three, after the tacos and sandwiches) and you want to use everything up but you don’t have enough meat and veg to make another full meal. Because nachos don’t actually want a ton of heavy toppings on them; you need just enough of each ingredient to get a little bit on each chip, not so much that you overload them and make everything unwieldy and soggy.

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My new book, SNACKING DINNERS, launched in April! Check out my events page for upcoming talks, signings, and pop-ups in the Bay Area, New York, and more!

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Nachos are also a great way to use up a wide variety of things; pretty much everything you make on the grill (except, perhaps, hot dogs) makes a good nacho topping. In the version I’ve photographed here, I’ve combined a chopped up a chicken thigh with some nicely charred zucchini, one leftover blistered scallion, the kernels from a small ear of corn, and half a tomato. But in the past, I’ve used everything from leftover sausage or a burger patty to a big plate’s worth of vegetables (no meat required). The key is to cut everything up into small pieces, add some cheese to hold it all together, and bake it in a very hot oven so everything heats while the cheese melts; toppings like some fresh tomato, avocado, and sour cream round out a nice, full range of flavors.

Nacho Ingredient Tips:

Proteins:

• Grilled chicken, steaks, pork, sausage, and even fish all make great toppings.

• True “barbecue” like pulled pork, brisket, tri-tip, ribs, etc are fantastic!

• If you’re using leftover hamburger patties, crumble them up and cook them on the stovetop with a bunch of seasonings first (think cumin, paprika, chili mix); the lightly seasoned meat, on its own, won’t add much flavor.

Vegetables:

• Zucchini and summer squash, bell pepper, scallions, sliced onions, sweet potato wedges, eggplant—anything you can grill (other than some delicate leafy greens) is great on nachos if chopped up well enough

• That leftover corn on the cob is nacho gold—just cut the kernels off the cob and throw them in.

• Add some diced tomatoes (or quartered cherry tomatoes) to the nachos along with the other toppings; as they cook in the oven, their flavors will become deeper and more concentrated.

Cheese:

• Cheddar (mild or medium) and Jack cheese both make excellent nachos. They melt well and they’re mild enough that they don’t overwhelm the other flavors. Pick one or use a mix of both.

Toppings:

• More tomatoes—add fresh tomato to the top of your cooked nachos, in addition to the cooked ones, for a hit of acid and brightness.

• Avocado or guacamole (no explanation needed!)

• Adding sour cream on top of melted cheese might seem like overkill, but the creaminess really rounds out the flavors and textures.

• Sliced black avocados are a hit for kids (and kids at heart).

• Salsa macha or chile crip adds nuance and heat (though these aren’t for everyone, so you may want to have them on the side, for those who like spice).

Post-Barbecue Nachos

The amounts below assume a mix of meat and vegetables, but this works just as well with all vegetables; for the best results, use a wide variety of foods.

Serves 3–4

1 (14-ounce) bag thick-cut tortilla chips
½–1 cup’s worth grilled, smoked, or slow-cooked meat, finely chopped
2 cups of finely chopped grilled vegetables
Kernels from 1 small ear of cooked (grilled or boiled/steamed) corn
1 small tomato, diced (or a large handful of cherry tomatoes cut into quarters)
4 cups grated Cheddar cheese (or a mix of Cheddar and Jack)
Toppings: more diced tomato, sour cream, diced avocado, sliced black olives, salsa or chile crisp, chopped cilantro leaves, etc

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

2. Arrange about ¾ of the tortilla chips on the sheet pan, overlapping them as needed to fully cover the pan; you want to try to have an even layer of chips, so there aren’t any underneath everything that won’t get toppings.

3. Evenly scatter about ⅓ of the cheese over the chips and sprinkle on about ⅔ of the meat, chopped vegetables, corn, and tomato.

4. Add a second layer of chips (using all the large and medium chips that remain, without too many of the tiny broken pieces). Top them with the remaining toppings and cheese.

5. Bake the nachos until all of the cheese is melted and starting to bubble; you’ll want to lift up the top layer of chips a little with small tongs or a chopstick to make sure the lower layer is ready.

6. Add your preferred toppings and eat the nachos while still hot.

   *I find a fish spatula or a cake server is useful for transferring big wedges of nachos to a plate without knocking off all the toppings or turning things upside down.

This past Wednesday, I did something kind of crazy to get the word out about the Snacking Dinners cookbook—cooking demo that aired on TalkShopLive! You can watch the full demo through the link above and get signed copies of the book through their site:

Photos: Georgia Freedman