Buffalo Chicken Nachos

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Finally.  Football season is here!  From February to August every year, I daydream of this day, when Sundays are dedicated to grilling out, drinking beer, and watching football all day (can’t tell I’m from Wisconsin, can you?); I can haul my Packers jersey out of the depths of my closet and munch on snacks all day while cheering for my favorite team.  Speaking of munching, the idea for these very nachos came from such a Sunday afternoon, when I had friends coming over for the game and wanted to do something different than the traditional nachos and cheese dip/salsa.

Believe it or not, before this day, I had never tasted Frank’s Red Hot sauce before; never in my life had I tasted it’s sweet, spicy goodness.  Needless to say, my boyfriend was appalled at this discovery, and it was decided that I NEEDED to try it; this is how my buffalo chicken nachos were born.

Traditional buffalo sauce is made with a combination of hot sauce, lemon juice, and butter, so I used that as the foundation for my sauce, only making a couple of improvements; the spice level is perfect (and adjustable, if you like it a bit more mild than I do) therefore the chicken doesn’t need much, just salt, pepper and – if you like spicy food – a touch of cayenne pepper.  As for the rest of the ingredients, I like ‘the works’ on my nachos, but not everyone does; you can pretty much use anything you want.  I recommend serving this as an appetizer; I can tell you from experience it’s an excellent dish for a football game, or any sporting event for that matter.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, melted

1/3 cup hot sauce (I recommend Frank’s Red Hot sauce)

2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled – I don’t think it makes much of a difference here)

½ packet chicken taco seasoning, any brand

2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded (season w/ salt, pepper & a pinch of cayenne pepper)

1 (10 oz.) bag tortilla chips, any brand (I’ve tried this with plain tortilla chips, tostada chips, and tortilla chips w/ a ‘hint’ of lime; they’ve all been good)

2 cups cheese, shredded (I recommend cheddar and/or Monterey jack)

2 chopped green onions or ½ small red onion, finely chopped

½ head lettuce, chopped

3 small tomatoes, chopped

½ cup black olives, chopped

½ cup jalapeño peppers, chopped (may use tamed/pickled jalapeños)

Also:  sour cream, for garnish

What to do:

Melt butter in pot on stove; add hot sauce, lemon juice, chicken taco seasoning and shredded chicken; mix well.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Layer chips in baking dish; cover with chicken mixture, sprinkle with cheese and onions. Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted; remove from oven and top with remaining ingredients.  Serve with sour cream, if desired.

*Alternate method (to prevent soggy chips; recommended if it’s not going to be completely eaten right away):  cover bottom of baking dish with chicken mixture, sprinkle cheese on top.  Add onions; bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted, then add remaining ingredients to the top.  Garnish with sour cream, and serve with chips on the side.

Finished product:

1) Capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their heat, irritates the pain receptors in the mouth, nose and stomach, releasing the chemical messenger ‘Substance P.’ This stimulates the brain to produce endorphins, a natural painkiller that gives the body a sense of well-being.

2) Chile peppers are cholesterol free, low in sodium and calories, rich in Vitamins A, C and E, and a good source of folic acid and potassium.