Nacho party time…on a MONDAY. Yes puh-lease.
Everyone likes nachos. I mean you can’t really go wrong with chips + melty cheese + the versatility of toppings. It’s almost overwhelming the amount of nacho scenarios that can be done.
Growing up my dad always made late-night nachos. They consisted of chips, shredded cheddar + jack cheese then topped with sliced tomatoes and sometimes salsa. Very simple and to the point to satisfy the seriousness of late night munchies.
I am always in favor for the simplicity of meals but when Garden of Eatin sent me some samples of their latest line of tortilla chips…my mind was gearing a little more out of the cheddar + tomato nacho combo.
Lately people have been curious on how my recipes come about. Inspiration for food comes from all sorts of directions for me. Cookbooks, restaurants, cravings, blogs, seasonal produce…my mind literally runs like a movie reel all day long thinking of different combinations, ideas and meals.
I was actually writing out a brainstorm list of what to do with these chips when a ding-a-ling light went off. Nachos were obvious. But plain nachos are too basic for the blog world. I wanted something slightly authentic but still attainable and appealing
Then the light bulb clicked to go with double layer. Possibly breakfast style with sautéed bell pepper, chicken sausage and onions. Wait no, that combo goes great on pasta. Okay..yes there it is…Italian style! Breakfast idea out.
Double Layer Italian Style Nachos in.
And that is just a shortened version of the hogposh that goes through my mind on a daily basis. Like all hours, seconds and minutes of the day. In fact I am currently stressing over who to have over for dinner this weekend…what to make…what wine to pour and where the heck I am going to get patio furniture so we can sit outside. See? Nonstop. It’s ridiculous sometimes.
So excuse me while I take a mental health break from my crazy mind + biology finals and sit down for some cheese-a-licious Italian style nachos. You should really do the same.
Double Layer Italian Style Nachos
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2–3 chicken sausage links, casings removed and diced (I used Trader Joe’s)
- 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, orange), chopped
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Handful of asparagus spears
- 1 tsp crushed oregano
- Sea salt + pepper to taste
- 1 bag Garden of Eatin Blue Corn Sea Salt Tortilla Chips
- 8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, shredded*
- Handful of sliced cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add diced chicken sausage, peppers, onions and garlic. Sauté the chicken sausage and veggies for a few minutes (about 5 minutes) until they are almost cooked through. Add in the asparagus spears, oregano and sea salt. Continue to saute for a few more minutes then turn off heat.
- Set your oven to broil and prepare nacho layers. Add a handful of chips to the bottom of a cast iron skillet or baking sheet. Add a little of the chicken sausage veggie mixture, then a handful of mozzarella balls. Top that with another layer of chips. Top the chips with some cheese, then the rest of your chicken sausage mixture. For the final layer add the rest of your cheese and bake on broil for 8 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.
- Top with sliced cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and eat immediately.
Notes
I used sliced mozzarella balls one time and shredded mozzarella a different time. I preferred using the shredded but either way will work.