Nachos compuestos are an IYKYK kinda thing in Texas. But for the uninitiated: each individual (large) chip is layered with a slather of refried beans, cheese, guac, and a pickled jalapeño. Each bite is a perfect bite — an antidote to the piled-high nachos where, once you've made your way through the top layer, you may end up with a sad pile of naked chips.
6 corn tortillas
Olive oil
Salt, to taste
2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans or 3 cups cooked bayo beans
2 tbsp lard (or bacon fat, or oil with a high smoke point)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeños diced (optional)
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
1 can of sliced pickled jalapeños
Preheat oven to 375F. Slice tortillas into quarters.
Spread tortillas onto the baking sheet in an even layer (no overlap!) and lightly brush or spray with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy.
Preheat a large skillet to medium-high. Add the lard (or bacon fat/oil). Sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the beans with their liquid to the pan. Start smashing the beans using a potato masher or the bottom of a mug, twisting as you press down.
Continue stirring and mashing until the beans resemble soft mashed potatoes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as necessary.
Assemble chips into an even layer on a baking sheet (no piles!), topping each individual oversized chip with a smear of beans and generous sprinkle of cheese.
Bake at 375 for 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted completely.
Top each nacho with a single sliced pickled jalapeño. Serve immediately.
2 comments
As someone who grew up in Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, THIS is a nacho! All those other things are basically chips & queso. Actually, we called the tostados with only cheese & jalapeño “nachos”. If they also had beans, they were called “ponchos”.
Ain’t no nacho like a nacho compuesto.