Taco Tuesday is made better by using a simple and delicious Nachos Recipe. The only real difference between Tacos and Nachos is using either tortillas or chips. Nachos are fun, family friendly and a hit with kids and adults alike. We added this recipe to our rotation a few years ago and it helps to mix up the boring (if tacos ever could be) to a fun and delicious dinner.

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Published January 2, 2023
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Recipe Variations

Tacos
Nachos
Enchiladas
Fajitas
Tostadas
Crunchwraps
Taco Salad
Walking Tacos

There are so many different recipes that you can use with Homemade Taco Seasoning.

Each week, on Tuesday, our family plans to have some sort of fun Taco Night.
We call it “Taco Tuesday”.

Sometimes, when you have the same meals, month after month, you get bored. To fight the meal boredom, to shake it up, take the typical recipe and make it fun. You can change up each of those recipes by changing out the beef with pork sausage, shrimp, chicken, steak, ground turkey, vegetarian, and even tofu.

With those eight simple recipes, you can then switch out the meats and make eight into sixty-four different meals. Sixty-four! Eight simple recipes can be changed into SO many different meals.

To make it “more fun”, Nacho cheese was also made to go with the Nachos.
Nacho cheese, when made with Extra Sharp Cheddar, can seem very pale. To bring the color up, a brighter yellow, add 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric to the milk.

Sixty-four Variations

Below is the list of the sixty-four variations that you can make with these simple recipes, swapped with eight different types of meat or filling.

Recipe

Ingredients for Nachos Recipe

3 pounds Gound beef
3 Tbsp Homemade Taco Seasoning
Lettuce
16-oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Olives
Tomatoes
Green onion
Refried beans
3 Tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1-2 cups milk
Salt, pepper
Greek Yogurt
Salsa
Guacamole
Taco Sauce

Directions for Nachos Recipe

1. In a large saucepan on the stove, brown 3 pounds ground beef and then drain any grease from the cooked meat.
For this recipe, I used 2 pounds ground beef and 1 pound ground pork sausage.

2. Add 3 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning to the cooked meat and add 2 tablespoons water, stir well and then heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Making Taco Seasoning is so inexpensive and SO much more delicious than buying those packets from the grocery store. Click the link below for my recipe on how to make your own Taco Seasoning mixture.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

3. In a medium saucepan, add 3 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. This is going to be used to make your own Nacho Cheese sauce!!!
Truly, making your own cheese sauce can help you then have such flexibility in so many recipes.
For example, mac & cheese, all you need is this cheese sauce recipe and then boil pasta and voila, dinner!

4. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk together until smooth and cook the flour for 2 minutes.

5. To the flour and butter, add 1/2 cup milk and then whisk until smooth.

6. Add 1-1 1/2 cups more milk and then whisk until smooth, bringing the mixture to a simmer.

7. Shred 8-ounces cheddar cheese and then add it to the butter and milk mixture and whisk until combined. Continue to add the cheese until it is all melted and smooth. Then, add salt and pepper to taste. Additionally, 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric can be added to make the sauce more of a Nacho Cheese color.

8. Turn the temperature on the Nacho Cheese to LOW and simmer for 5 minutes.

9. Wash the lettuce and then slice it thin. Place the lettuce into a bowl and then set aside.

10. Wash the tomatoes and then dice them, placing the diced tomatoes into a bowl and set aside.

11. Wash and then slice a bell pepper, then dice it into small pieces. Place the pieces of diced bell pepper in a bowl and then set aside.

12. Slice the black olives and then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Buying whole black olives is so much cheaper than buying the small can that is already sliced.
You will save so much money buying a big can and then storing it in your fridge. These last so long, and then you have a large supply of whole black olives anytime you need them.

13. Slice the green onions and place them into a bowl and then set aside.

14. If using, open a container of guacamole and set on the table, additionally, open the salsa, Greek yogurt and taco sauce can be used as toppers for this Nachos Recipe.

Lately, avocados have been in not great condition, so if you do desire to have avocados, using a “Classic Guacamole” will get you the closest. Otherwise, now, you can find them in southwest, spicy or chunky flavors.
Instead of using sour cream, we switched to Greek yogurt many years ago. Greek yogurt is fat free and tastes remarkably similar to sour cream without compromising the taste too much.
It can also be used instead of any sour cream base in sauces, dips and more- making them all fat free! While I was going through health issues and had to cut out fat from my diet, switching to Greek yogurt was the #1 thing that helped me still maintain flavor in dishes we loved.

15. Open the bag of chips and then place them in a large bowl and then set on the table.
You can use Doritos, tortilla strips, triangles, or any chip you and your people love.

16. Place taco meat onto the table and also the nacho cheese.

17. Heat the Homemade Refried Beans in a microwave safe bowl and then stir and place on the table.
Time to plate the Nachos!

In addition to making Taco Seasoning, making Refried Beans is incredibly simple and then helps to save a ton of money! Refried beans, when made from scratch, store well in a freezer-safe container, and then stored in the freezer until you need them. This recipe makes 4-6 meals-worth, depending on the size of your meal.

How to make Homemade Refried Beans in a Crock-Pot

To a plate, add a pile of chips and then add Nacho cheese, taco meat, refried beans, shredded cheese and any other toppings you desire.
Finally, serve and enjoy!
~Monica

Nachos Recipe

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