Ultimate Nachos with Beef

Man Up Your Meals, p. 20

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces ground round beef

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

1 ¾ cups tomato puree or tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk, warmed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1 (7-ounce) package tortilla chips

1 ripe avocado

¾ cup drained, pickled jalapenos

1 small red onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, or until translucent and slightly golden. Add the ground beef and cook for an additional 5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown.

Looks legit so far...

Add the oregano, paprika, cumin, tomato puree or sauce, and water, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, or until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

The soupy consistency of the sauce is a bad sign.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the flour, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the warm milk, trying to avoiding letting any lumps form, until the sauce thickens and starts to boil. Turn off the heat and add the cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, mustard, and half the Parmesan cheese. Stir until smooth, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Ladle half of the beef onto a large serving plate. Place tortilla chips on top, followed by the rest of the beef, then top with the cheese sauce.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, peel, and chop into small pieces. Sprinkle the avocado pieces over the nachos along with the jalapenos, chopped red onion, and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Pretty, right? Looks like something you could just dive right into?

My Rating: 2/5 "This number rating is a compromise. As nachos, this is definitely a 1/5 disaster. The sauce disintegrates the chips almost immediately and everything turns into this weird mushy nacho-flavored soup. That said, my partner had the presence of mind to realize that this could turn into a very nice nacho dip for other chips (I bought the scoops and they worked well). So as it's intended this is no bueno, but it can be redeemed!"