Emeril's recipe: sausage, bean and cheese nachos

This filling snack is perfect for football season, but don’t feel like you have to wait until game time.

By Emeril Lagasse

Not just a snack, this dish is great anytime and can even form the basis of a simple supper when paired with a nice green salad.

Prep Time: 10 m, Cook Time: 10, Total Time: 20
1 pound fresh hot sausage, such as chorizo, removed from casings and crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion bottoms (reserve tops separately)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 15-ounce cans pinto or black beans, drained
3/4 cup chicken stock or water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces large (restaurant style) tortilla chips
3 cups grated pepper jack or sharp cheddar cheese, or a combination of both
1/4 cup pickled jalapeno slices, or to taste
Your favorite salsa and sour cream, for serving

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the chorizo until it is nicely browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
To the fat remaining in the pan, add the green onion bottoms and garlic and cook until fragrant and soft, about 20 seconds. Add the beans and mix well with the green onion mixture until heated through, about 1 minute.

 

Add the chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mash the beans with the back of a heavy wooden spoon or potato masher until chunky/smooth. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until completely warmed through. Remove from the heat.

 

On a large, oval ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish, spread half of the chips in one even layer. Top with 1/2 of the beans, 1/2 of the sausage, 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese and jalapenos. Bake until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with salsa and sour cream.

 

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Interests: Chefs